Crossroads, Encountered
by Nalana
Summary: They were out of time. He had thirty seconds to decide, seven to act, and one chance to pull it all together. More than glass laid shattered on the asphalt.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would not need to write fic. Maybe.

A/N: The initial premise of this fic takes a little leap of faith on your behalf. I ask your patience as there is more to this story then the initial premise. Thank you for giving this silly little thing of mine a peek! A thousand thanks to EvelynMM without whom this would be impossible.

* * *

In the distance she could hear the sound of cars rushing their way to highways to make it home in time for family dinners. Stuck in their warm boxes they didn't feel the bitter wind crawl across the landscape carrying away the rest of what few leaves littered the ground from their fall drop. But in the heart of the park, at one of its less maintained areas, Lux stared deeply towards the heart of the recreational reserve. Everything was so still, so normal. So why did she feel like it was all crumbling down around her?

One stupid frickin' product malfunction. One chance taken too many, and here she was, in more trouble then she could even imagine. And she had done some pretty drastic stuff to get away from some of the more terrible places the state had thrown her into. It was the feeling of another body settling down onto the bench next to her that snapped her out.

"That was a pretty cryptic text." The voice said. She didn't look at the person beside her. "Lux?" he whispered reaching out to her shoulder.

"Lux, what's wrong?" The worried seeped through his voice. It only made her cringe again. "Are you okay?"

"We messed up Eric." She choked, her gaze still fixed in front of her. The color had drained out of her already fair face. "Cate is going to kill me. Baze will probably kill you." She snorted. "On the up side I guess we'll be dead together." She closed her eyes. She couldn't break down. Not now.

His hand moved to her hand, squeezing it tightly. He knew enough not to push her. She already looked like she was going to shatter. This time she moved her head slowly to turn towards him. Barely meeting his own eyes she parted her lips, though it took time for sound to emerge from them.

"I'm pregnant."

The two words fell though the air like bombs, rocking his vision and stopping his heart. His head reeled as fast as hers seemed to have shut down. He sputtered sounds that may have been words. None of them were coherent.

"I... I thought at first it was just stress, you know?" She looked back, pushing herself up to her feet, as if she couldn't stay still. "I was never all that consistent when it came to that kind of stuff. I'd miss a couple nights sleep or something and I'd be totally thrown off. So I didn't even realize anything was wrong."

Eric sat still, watching her carefully move back and forth of the bench as she continued, her hands clutching at pockets of air as if grabbing onto them would help her get a physical grasp on the issue they faced. "But then there were the headaches and…I haven't slept past ten when I hadn't had anything in me since I was," She stopped, suddenly embarrassed at a part of her preteen years that she didn't consider before. "That...doesn't matter. But I woke up at ONE. " She breathed heavily.

"Wait, are you just going on this?" A flash of hope sparked until she glared at him like he said the world was flat.

"…Two." She snapped. He rubbed his palm across his mouth once, his thumb stopping at his lip as he thought of gnawing at the nail there, breathing in deeply and exhaling.

"Eric…" She stopped pacing, her shoulders slumping. Her voice cracked a little. "What… What am I going to do?"

"We." Eric stood up, instantly, shocking both of them with his gut reaction. She almost took a step back when he reached for her. "We, Lux." He said softer, reaching out for her hands to keep her from avoiding him.

"This is not your problem. It's ours." His words made tears flicker in her eyes. Pierced by them he drew her into him, wrapping her up in his arms he kissed the top of her head.

"Lux, I can't tell you what to do about this. We shouldn't have even gotten as far as we did. That IS my fault. But this is your body; Lux. It's your life. It's…." he paused, not liking the sound of the next words on his tongue, "it's okay if you don't want to go through with this. I'd understand. Hell, even if you didn't keep the baby, or if I didn't…"

"NO." Lux jumped back. "I spent half my life in hell because someone gave ME up. I won't do it, Eric!" She snapped suddenly. He held onto her, not letting her completely rip herself away. "Wait… you'd … you'd keep it?" She said shyly. He swallowed once and nodded.

"You shouldn't have to give up any dream you have, Lux. And if that means I get baby duty…if you want me to go away so you don't have to face it or any questions they may have…" The thought was daunting, and possibly too impulsive, but necessary. "I only want you to have everything you deserve Lux."

She shook her head in protest. "I don't deserve that, Eric. I…it took me a really long time to forgive Cate. I'm…not sure I completely have some times." She admitted. "I can't just vanish from my kid's life." The uneasiness of the mirror situation made her queasy.

"Lux you…you have to understand that if you have this baby…" He sighed, "Teens aren't the most forgiving people. You know that." She half laughed at the irony of his words.

"You've worked so hard just to be on decent terms with them." He noted. There were still those who taunted or avoided her. She was by no means in the running for prom queen, but she had become civil with many of them. He doubted this would make the later half of her senior year a joy.

"I know I just…I don't know." She admitted. "I'm scared." She whispered, moving in to hug him once more.

"I know. I am too." He muttered as he held her close again. "But whatever you want to do I'm here. If you want me there when you tell your family, I will. I'm not hiding from them, Lux. I can't let you do this and lie for me. I want to be here with you. Whatever they say, however they feel, whatever they do… I don't care."

"No!" Lux shook her head. "If they know everything we've done, fought for. It would be for nothing! Baze might actually kill you!" She panicked.

"Kill me? I don't think he's that kind of guy, Lux." He paused. "Beat the shit out of me and call the cops… probably." He tried to joke but it went horribly wrong. She looked even more scared.

"Do you think that in the end, they would be more pissed if I hid from this or if I stood up for you?" He pointed out. "Lux, you've been incredible. Amazing. It's my turn. And what ever happens, we'll make it okay."

"Promise?" She looked up at him. His arms provided a welcome shelter from the chill.

"Promise." He sealed it with a kiss.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Lux closed her phone. She had called ahead to see if Cate and Ryan were home under the disguise that she was passing by a store and wanted to know if they needed anything. With Cate being on the executive side of things, her schedule wasn't always as predictable as it had been. They had come to a mutual agreement that it would be safer for Eric if they told her mother and step-dad first. Ryan might be pissed, Cate might even be. But they weren't likely to launching themselves at him physically.

It wasn't that Baze was violent by nature. It was that he loved, and was passionate. And this was his little girl. It was endearing in its own way, something she loved him for.

"Are you ready to do this?" Eric asked her as she crawled up into his old pick up. She laughed at the mere suggestion. "Right." He confirmed, reaching out to take her hand once more for comfort as much for himself as her.

"We just…need to get this over with." She confirmed, latching on her seat belt as he turned over the engine.

The sun was bright as descended rapidly below the skyline, glaring painfully into their eyes even with the help of visors. But it gave away to streetlights and night. During the ride he tried to distract them from the situation, telling her about the Minnesotan nights with open fields and skies so bright they looked artificial.

"It's beautiful, Lux. Amazing. The lakes are so clear it looks like glass, like you could swim through the stars yourself." He glanced quickly over at her as he switched gears. She had her eyes closed. She was smiling, picturing the sight he described. "I'll have to take you there. It's almost as good as the ocean."

"Mmm. Maybe better." She said through heavy eyes. He chuckled.

His attention turning back to the road he caught something out of the corner of his eye. At his right a car speeding though an intersection. Its driver was out of control. Other cars skidded to a stop or turned away. It was headed directly towards them.

Instinctively, he almost turned towards the open lane. But that would take the car directly into Lux's side. Gritting his teeth he turned the right as well, driving them towards the sidewalk. With the truck in the direction flung himself over the passenger's side trying to shield Lux as the other car met the back of the cab shoving the left hood of the truck into the stationary lamp post at the corner.

The front of the truck crushed in, the left side demolished by the top of the smaller but sizable vehicle. Lux covered her head before impact just as glass shattered around her. The impact had sent her body jerking towards the right. The seatbelt pulled back, but couldn't keep her from crashing into the door. The impact sent her arm and neck into a burn, her vision swimming.

Dizzy and her skin prickling she was aware of three things. One, she was pinned between the door, the seat, dash, and a very heavy body. Two, there was blood on her –whose, she didn't know. Her entire body panged with the aftershock making her unable to tell which way she wriggled was least painful. Three, she was about to lose consciousness.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

"How long does it take to pick up milk?" Cate absent-mindedly to her husband as she sat the dinner table for them, balancing her young son on her hip. He was unable to responded before the doorbell rang. Sighing he offered to go get it. She had barely heard the door open before her name was called.

Seriously, how hard could it be to turn down girl scouts? Though it was a little late for them to be out, she admitted. Turning into the hallway she stopped at the sight before her. Two officers stood stoically before her husband. This couldn't be good.

"Are you Cate Cassidy?"

"What's wrong?" She asked without waiting for them to beat around the bush.

"Ma'am, your daughter's been involved in an accident.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

The hospital was buzzing. Apparently the crash had lead to a pile up that had injuries ranging from whiplash to mortality. Cate and Ryan weren't the only parents anxiously trying to distract a nurse to give them the time of day as they ran around the emergancy room trying sort out cases by severity.

"CATE!" the small dark haired woman heard her name being called across the room. Across the crowded room Baze broke through the doors. Tasha was at his heels. She had been to the loft looking for Lux when Cate had called him.

"What HAPPENED? Where is she? Have you heard anything?" He asked narrowly avoiding running into a gurney as the receptionists tried to usher onlookers and panicked family alike back out of the main line. They were only delaying treatment by swarming them.

"No!" She said desperately, almost shaking. The police hadn't had details for her. "I don't see her, Baze! I don't see her!" Ryan reached out to her to keep her from shutting down on everyone, their son firmly in his other arm. The baby delt with the noise better then his parents, watching the fuss frightened but contained to a quivering lipi.

"She might have already been admitted." He tried to reason. "Maybe she's getting treatment."

"Oh my god… LUX!" Tasha's voice drowned them all out, causing them to turn towards the window as the next ambulance came screaming into the drop off. From the distant of windows they saw a battered blonde being wheeled in. Directly behind her was another body, male, one that could be barely made out through blood, braces, and breathing implements.

"Who…" Cate squinted trying to make out the figure.

"Oh god…" Tasha's words were barely audible, but the look of horror on her face told the others that she knew something they didn't.

Before they could ask the paramedics made their way through the doors and started yelling stats at the on call doctor. As they rushed her and the male in back, Baze caught the nurse trailing after them by the arm. "That's my daughter." He said simply.

"Sir, is there any medical condition or allergy we need to be aware of?" She tried to keep it business like. Cate jumped in briefly telling her of her heart condition and that she had no medication sensitivities that they were aware of. The attendant nodded. "I'm sorry, but the doctor will be in to see you as soon as possible. We need to assess her before we will know anything ourselves."

With that the woman was gone leaving Cate yelling after her, Ryan stepped in front of the small group's vision. "She's right. All we're doing is slowing down their work. We've got to get these people calmed down and into the waiting room." He admitted looking at the over whelmed clerks.

After a little yelling, a little humor, and a delayed start due to an unnerved set of biological parents, the room was in a mild frenzy. The time ticked away slowly, agonizingly, and yet all too much and all too fast. Cate had settled down, focusing her nervous energy on entertaining little Alex while they waited to distract him from the noise of the room. As it was he had fallen into a half sleep against her shoulder. Tasha had elected to find one of the seats and was fidgeting nervously. Ryan sat beside her, pulling her into a half hug. As somewhat of an outsider to the makeshift family they had become, he had bounded with the girl a little more. While she wasn't blood, she was dear to Lux. And in this weird life they had he understood the 'not quite a part' feeling he knew she must have.

"She hates hospitals." Tasha spoke, staring at her feet.

"What happened?" Baze repeated, "You weren't exactly chatty on the phone." He grilled Cate.

"The officers said that someone lost control of their breaks at a four way. Lux was in a truck with someone that was hit by the car. It stopped the vehicle, but the truck they were in was pretty much ruined. They didn't know her condition. They just told me they'd be taking her here. Oh god. What if—"

"NO. That's not going to happen, Cate." Baze held a finger up, not allowing her to finish that terrible thought.

"Tasha." Ryan spoke up. "You recognized the other person?" He offered. "Do you know who Lux was with tonight?"

"If I knew she was out somewhere I wouldn't have gone to Baze's." She said, practically. Avoiding.

"But you knew who was on that other stretcher." Baze caught on.

"Tasha." Cate looked at her directly. The teenager looked at the adults, stunned, reluctant.

"Ms. Cassidy? Mr. Bazile?" a weary voice called to them. Instantly their attention was taken to the man in the bleached lab coat.

"That's us." Baze offered.

"Would you come with me please?" Cate looked back at Ryan and Tasha, both looking like an acupuncturist in training was poking them.

"It's okay." Ryan reassured his wife, holding his arms out to take their son. "I'll stay here with Tasha and the little guy." Uncomfortable about excluding him once again, but anxious for news on her daughter she nodded to the doctor. The two former classmates followed him into one of the examination rooms. Lux wasn't in sight, but the chaos and chatter of the emergency room was behind them giving them some sense of privacy.

"Is she okay?" The words left the separate mouths at the same time almost instantly. The doctor had anticipated it.

"Lux should be fine. Currently she's unconscious, but it's likely a mix of natural healing and the medications we have her under. She's going to have a lot of bruising. We had to relocate her shoulder, and her right arm will be out of commission for a while. She's had to have a few stitches from various injuries from projectile fragments."

"What about her heart? She's had a stroke because of an impact before." Cate brought up.

"We don't see any immediate reason to be concerned, but we've sent her for a few scans to be on the safe side. However, we have a few preliminary test results back. Ms. Cassidy, Mr. Bazile, there is something else about your daughter's health you may not be aware of."

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Beeping. There was that really annoying beeping. Had someone forgotten to check an answering machine or microwave?

Lux groaned, her eyes opening, slowly focusing on the white around her. Splotches of blue indicated curtains while the rough pink and tan blobs to her right slowly formed into the shape of her parents. Their voices were unclear, like the beeping.

"Lux? Lux honey we're here. Can you hear us?"

"Yea?" Why was her voice so groggy, rough?

"Lux," Baze's voice was lower, even. "You've in the hospital. You had a bit of an accident."

Accident?

Lights. screeching, glass. pain, someone calling out to her. _Eric!_ Her mind screamed as she tried to shoot up in her bed only to be reigned in by the pain that followed the fast motion that hadn't allowed her to barely lift her shoulders off of her pillow.

"Shh. It's okay. Lux, relax. You're going to be fine." Cate stood up; the sound of her chair scraping the waxed floor was a bit too sharp. "Just lay back, okay honey?"

Lux let herself listen to them. Once she had her breathe, and her vision back, she listened to them tell her how she had been admitted the night before. Ryan had just taken Tasha home so they could get showers and come back with decent non-cafeteria coffee and clothes for them all.

"But the doctor said that you could be out of here in no time." Baze reassured her. "You just have to rest and get a couple more tests, but if you play it nice and we cater to your every whim…" He tried to make her feel better taking her uneasiness for her disdain for hospitals.

"Good." She said, trying to help him feel better. "...Is…" She started, hoping it wasn't too out of the way but unable to restrain herself any longer. "Is Mr. Daniels okay?" Her parents exchanged an uneasy look.

"…Oh my god." Lux choked. "He's…He…"

"No! Lux, no. He's alive." Cate rushed. Lux felt like she could breath again

"But it's not pretty. He's not doing so good, Kiddo." Baze amended, seeing the panic in her eyes paused. "But he's in good hands, okay?"

Why were they coddling her? There was something they were dancing around. Even in her state she could feel it. "What?" She said plainly.

"Lux…" Cate started, she looked so unsure. She looked weak. "Did you, are you…" her words caught in her throat.

"Did you know you were pregnant?"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nwope, Still don't own them last I checked.

A/N: Wow. I need to thank ALL of you. I went away on vacation and came back with the most AMAZING surprise ever! Thank you so much for all your kind words and encouragement. I hope I don't let all of you down! As always, thanks to the amazing Evelyn for all her support and pimpage.

For further notice I'm going to attempt to update once a week, probably either Monday or Tuesday. Enjoy!

* * *

The question pounded in Lux's head. They know. They know. They know. It echoed in her head over and over until her mind locked on to a single word. Her left hand fisted the blanket at her side.

"Were?" She barely managed to choke out. Her reaction made them blink and exchange one of those secret parent looks that she wasn't sure how they actually worked. But she could read it as well as they could. They hadn't expected her to know what was going on. After all, they thought they had moved past the lying issues a year ago.

"Are." Cate said slowly. Lux let go of a breath she hadn't known she was holding in. Her hand relaxed on the sheet and she found herself looking up at the bleak ceiling in a mixed sense of relief and dread. This was only going to get worse.

"So…you knew?" Baze clarified, opting to take a chair that he hadn't been using until now. Lux's mind went into protection mode.

"Not…for long." She admitted. That was truthful at least. The words felt like sandpaper against her tongue. Her mother reached out to take her hand.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She could see the uneasiness in Cate's eyes and the rage in Baze's. For now he was withholding his reaction.

" I was going to!" Lux said quickly. "I just… I couldn't figure out a way that…that wouldn't hurt you." That much was also true. As much as this scared her, as much as they weren't ready for any of this, she knew how much her own mistakes weighed on her parents' shoulders. They'd blame themselves for this – after they were done blaming Eric. Well, at least the nameless father.

"Hurt us?" Baze blinked. "Lux… you're the one who's been—" Luckily his rampage was interrupted by the arrival of a blessedly matching white coat and a clipboard.

"Ah, Miss Cassidy. It's good to see you with us." He was far too perky for someone who had spent the bulk of his 24-hour shift wide-awake and on his toes. Immediately picking up on the atmosphere he offered to leave. Lux was quick to assure him everything was okay.

The doctor repeated the process that he had with her parents. He reassured her that she didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. Her blood work and scans had come out promising. She'd be sore for a week, of course. And her casted arm would take a while to heal. He inquired to how she was feeling now, checking her monitors and the fluids they had been giving her. He told her that unfortunately, due to her pregnancy, medication was limited. He saw the collective flinch when he brought up the subject they had clearly been talking about and proceeded with caution.

"Lux you were very lucky. But if you intend to carry this child to term, we're going to have to treat your case as high risk. I can draw up a list of specialists at the hospital for you and your parents to look over. Your body is one of the best things to protect that baby but when it's shaken up it can cause some complications. I don't see any signs of abruption at this time. But if you feel anything abnormal, have any bleeding or pain, we need to know immediately, okay?" Lux nodded at his words. "Also, we should schedule another ultrasound –soon. Just to make sure things are still on track."

He gave a moment to let the information sink in before he continued. "Now, there is another matter I'd like to speak with you about." The group's heads cleared, thankful of the chance. "The man you were in the truck with,"

"Is he okay?" She asked again, not knowing when Cate and Baze had been informed last.

"We've stabilized him for now, and wishing for the best. It's still a bit of touch and go. Which is why I need to ask you something. We pulled his ID from his wallet and have picked up his medical records but we're having some trouble locating an emergency contact. Would you know anyone?"

"Ryan's sister." Cate piped up. "She dated him for a while…I could give her a call."

" Geezer." Lux said without thinking, attention being drawn to her. "His phone…Geezer is the listing. It's his uncle. George I think? He's over in Corvallis. He could get you the other numbers."

"Lux?" Cate was weary. Lux snapped out of the trance like state she had been in when she relayed the information.

"Paige was telling me the story behind it. Believe me, you wouldn't forget it either." She tried to smile. Neither of her parents entirely believed it.

"Alright. Thank you. Now rest up. I'll be later to check in on you. Don't hesitate to ask the nurses for anything."

When the door locked behind him, it felt like he had sealed the air out as well. Lux sank back against the pillow. This felt like a really horrible dream. The only issue was that she knew it wouldn't go away when she opened her eyes.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

"You SERIOUSLY expect me to go to school?" Tasha blanched at Ryan who was balancing Alex on his hip, the baby drooping to sleep as he tried to stay awake as more sounds disturbed him.

"Tasha, who knows how long Lux is going to be in that hospital. And right now, she needs some time to herself. Cate and Baze need time with her. What we don't need is to let both of our kids missing school. She's going to need the help when she gets better." He tried to reason with her through his insomnia-induced migraine.

"Besides, I need to run down to the school to let them know what's going on anyway. Show them the doctor's notes and estimates." He half reminded himself.

"And about Mr. Daniels." Tasha piped up, surprised by now natural she had jumped to include him into the conversation. Yea, she had been privy to Lux's secret for way too long.

"Right. Almost forgot." Ryan nodded. Tasha had confirmed the identity of the other passenger, almost by accident. And it had been confusing. Regardless, his workplace had a right to know of his situation if they needed it. Still, things didn't seem to add up.

Quizzically Ryan asked Tasha why it didn't seem strange to her. After all, it was certainly not going to look great for whomever he talked to at school. Tasha shrugged, rambling off something about him being a family friend. It was true. Ryan recalled the teacher being present at the thanksgiving they found out about the impeding presence of little Alex. And he had seen him hanging out with Math from time to time. Then there was the whole Paige thing; he shuddered at the memory of his sister's time there with them.

"Right. Fine. I'll probably just sleep through half the classes anyway." She sighed heading up to Lux's room to borough a couple books before heading to the school.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

First period had already passed by the time they had pulled up to the private institution. Ryan had dropped the baby off at daycare on the way, apologizing for being late. Much to her dismay he dragged her directly to the office to personally excuse her tardiness. She didn't stick around for his long detailed explanation of what was happening, simply grabbing her permission slip and trudging down the hall to slip as quietly as possible into her second period calc class.

The teacher looked up at the sound of the door opening. The glasses on the rim of his long nose fell as she put herself at the mercy of dozens of pairs of eyes turning her way as she made her way up to hand him the 'get out of jail free' card. He looked over it quickly, and nodded for her to take her seat. Her day just got better as she saw her normal place –right across from Jones as this was one of the few classes they had together—was taken by Amber. He looked at her apologetically, and confused. She just shook it off.

Placing her chin the palm of her hand she stared attentively at the chalkboard as her teacher droned on about one thing or another—like she could actually focus. Oh well. She had warned Ryan. She saw Jones, while the teacher had his back to the class look discretely over his shoulder to her. She gave him a little smile of reassurance.

Finally, the bell released her from her tortuous chamber. Fifteen minutes until the next herding, she told herself. Half-heartedly she gathered her stuff waiting for her boyfriend to reach her. They didn't have the next period together, but at least they went in the same direction.

"Hey… you're late." He said, placing a hand at her elbow as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder.

"Yea, well... at least I'm here." She said gloomily. He looked around, something dawning on him.

"Lux wasn't in World. She out?" He guessed.

"She," Tasha stepped out into the hallway, "Is sitting in a hospital bed."

"What? Is she okay? Wait! Why are you HERE?" He stopped their progress down the hallway.

"She'll be okay, I think." Tasha confirmed, sighing as she started walking again. She neglected to tell him the other detail she had overheard Cate and Baze telling Ryan. Who knew if the baby even made it anyway? That, and Jones had no clue about her friend's love life. "Mr. Daniels picked her up when he saw her walking and some guy lost his breaks. He, unlike Lux, is not so okay."

"Like, how not okay?" The quarterback had him in his fifth period. All and all, he liked the guy. He didn't have the easiest work, but at least he managed to make things fun. "Is it like we get a day or two of movies or we have a temp-permanent sub?"

"Thinkin' the later." Tasha responded, "Last I knew he was still listed as critical. But you can only hear so much about things by nurses lounges and outside of the doors."

"You were spying in a hospital?" Jones' lips curled into a smirk.

"What? It's not like they ever tell you anything in those places unless you're blood. And if I was Lux, and someone was practically put on their death bed because they did something to help me, that would be the first question out of my mouth." She said, reasonably. At least that logic couldn't be debated. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was someone she loved.

"Shit." Jones said, loitering outside of the door to his next class. "Well, look. I have the last one free. You have gym, right?" She nodded. "You can get Math to let you out. I'll make a break for it and we'll go see her."

Tasha stopped, her stress breaking for the first time the morning. "What did I ever do to get someone like you?" She blushed.

"Be one sexy chick who knows how to handle a ball?" He said, looping an arm around her waist and giving her a quick kiss before the hall monitors wrote them up for a very against the rules public display of affection.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

"YES, Lux, it DOES matter!" Baze had finally lost his temper, standing up and pacing around.

"WHY?" She shouted back. "What difference would it make if I gave you a name? ESPECIALLY now! You'd just run off and make everything so much worse!" She was red in the face, holding back the tears that would have otherwise came. Stupid hormones.

Cate stood up, going to Baze in an attempt to calm him. Lux looked the other way. She had seen this coming a mile away. No sooner had the doctor left then they had jumped in. How far was she along? How long had she known? Did the father know? Who was he?

"You have to understand this from our point of view, Lux." Cate tried to remain calm. "We didn't even know you were seeing someone. We just," She stopped trying to figure out the words she wanted to say. "We want to make sure that you weren't pushed into something you didn't want to do."

"I wasn't raped." Lux said plainly. "Or convinced, or pressured. If anyone was doing the pressuring, it was me." That made her mother flinch just a little.

"But, I don't understand. You're on birth control." Cate said while Baze stood towards a corner. That made him snap around to look at Cate.

"It helps her with some skin issues, so I kept her on it after she broke up with Bug." Cate explained quickly, afraid he'd think she was privy to some secret information.

"I am." Lux confirmed, though hesitantly. "It's never really been about sex for us." Her voice was low. It wasn't the easiest thing to say. "So I'm not always great at taking them like I should."

"Then why the hell didn't you use a condom?" Baze erupted again.

"We DID." She glared over at Baze. She knew this had to be a hard revelation for him. She knew he just was too protective. But this wasn't helping. "Obviously, it was faulty. The universe, apparently, hates me."

Baze sat back down, his leg tapping nervously. "What I don't get, Lux, is why if what happened wasn't shocking or out of place, why wouldn't you tell us about this guy? If he's so important to you, if it was more then just sex, why wouldn't you introduce us?"

Lux took a deep breath. Oh, I don't know. He's just seven years older then me. He's someone you guys trust to not be making moves on me. And, oh yea, he could go to jail if Baze went into shelter and defend mode like he was. She wouldn't say that, of course.

"You guys flipped over Bug. You were happy when he left. I didn't think you'd like things about this guy either." They didn't seem to be moved either which way.

"Look. What happened, happened. It's done. And I'm not going to tell you anything about him until you all just calm down. Because I'm sorry, you're wrong. It's not important. Not right now." She said, calmly and even trying not to aggravate them more.

"Then what is so much more important, Lux?" Baze attempted to play her game?

"More important? Oh maybe the fact that in the same accident, two people are already DEAD? That someone who was HELPING me might be dying? The fact that this is happening, but apparently instead of figuring out what now, all you can think about is WHY!"

"Lux!" Cate interjected, leaning over to press her hand lightly to her daughter's shoulder. "The doctor told you that she had to stay calm." Lux clenched her jaw at the demand, huffing through her nose.

This was a nightmare.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Getting Math to let her go wasn't half as bad as she had anticipated. He seemed just as anxious as she did. So with some careful evasive techniques, they headed out to the hospital with minimal trouble. Jones had put the music low, letting Tasha drift out to her thoughts. Despite everything that had happened, she felt happy here with him.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I know." He responded, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as they pulled into visitor parking.

Not particularly wanting to hear a lecture about the importance of school from Cate at the moment, Tasha sat in the car for a moment. They needed to waste time. And while Jones' hand rubbing her neck was a perfect release…or at least the best of one they could get in a public space like this, her head kept spinning.

"We should head in." He suggested. She took a deep breath and slipped out of the vehicle.

Once inside the buzzing structure, Tasha walked the route she had memorized last night only to practically run into a clearly distracted man who had rounded the corner at the same moment. He raised his hands in apology. He had a strong face with rounded features that seemed a little out of place on his mostly slim body. His sandy gray eyes were clouded with worry, but seemed pleasant enough.

"Sorry there…uh…you look like you know where you're going." He suggested.

"Yeaaa…" She started.

"Could you happen to tell me how to get to the ICU?" He said weakly, "These maps aren't doing me any good and, truth be told, I totally glazed over what the receptionist had said."

Tasha smiled a little nodding. "Take this," She pointed to the elevator they were standing by, "To level four. Take the first right you see in front of you. Can't miss it." She and Jones boarded the box behind the very grateful man.

"Thank you." He said sincerely, "Are you visiting?"

"Yea, a friend of mine was in a pile up last night." She said, a little weary of this overly talkative visitor, but if he was going there his nerves were probably shot. She couldn't blame him. Though she did notice Jones staying closer to her then he otherwise would have. His protectiveness was endearing.

"So was my nephew." The man's friendly cheer died completely. "He's a teacher at one of the schools here. Got him the job, even." She could read that voice. It was the guilt voice. But her mind fixated on one other thing.

"Wait… is your nephew Eric Daniels?" She asked. He shot her a look just as the doors dinged open on the second.

"You know him?"

I wish I didn't, Tasha thought to herself. "Yea, my friend was in the same truck. How is he? My friend's okay, but she's worried sick." She didn't like the disappointment that was in the older man's eyes.

"They didn't tell me everything on the phone, I think they're waiting for his parents to get here. They're catching the next flight out of Minneapolis. But from what I hear…he's very lucky to be with us still. Maybe your friend's his good luck charm?" Tasha's stomach churned when he assumed that.

"Maybe."

"Well, lets hope so." The man focused on the metal doors in front of him. "Maybe if his luck is alright, his won't run out."

The door clanged for the third floor- Tasha's stop. It was Jones who had to urge her out of the doors and into the hall. When they closed she looked back at them. Her boyfriend waited.

"They'll be okay." He tried to reassure her. She could only nod.

Coming closer to the room they had put Lux into, she saw that the door was closed. The closer she got, the more she could hear yelling. She saw the nurses on duty shaking their heads in shame. Jones looked more than a little confused.

"I know this is really awkward for you." She turned to him, apologetic, "But could you maybe wait out here for a little bit?"

"Yea, no problem." He agreed, not taking his eyes off the door. She smiled and kissed him thankfully before making it to the door.

She knocked once but wasn't heard. Gulping air she walked in to see Cate and Baze yelling at one another. "WOAH1" She yelled, getting their attention. "You do realize the marathon can be heard all the way to the elevator right?"

All the parties stopped in shame. With Cate and Baze silenced for the moment, Tasha's eyes turned to her best friend. Lux's hair was matted and flat. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes puffy from tears. "Oh my god." She rushed over to hug the other girl, careful of the cast. "Are you okay?" Lux shook her head no in her friend's shoulder.

"We'll give you some time alone." Cate relented, death glaring at Baze as she walked out. He threw his hands up in defeat.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[

"I'm the one who's over reacting?" Baze hissed lowly as they walked out towards the exit. "Cate, she is SEVENTEEN. She can't have a baby!"

"Yea, well, I was sixteen." Cate snapped, slamming the elevator's down button with the force of a hammer.

"And it was so the best decision of your life." He snapped stepping into the box. They road down in silence, though when they emerged they continued to walk side by side.

The doors and blast of light shocked their senses a little. The last time they had been near them it had been dark out. And now the late afternoon sun saluted them. The cold rush of air seemed to rejuvenate their senses.

"I'm not saying that this is alright with me." Cate clarified. "All I'm saying is that I understand how scared she is. And she's right. We're not going to get anywhere with how we've been doing this. Maybe we need to back off a little bit, and focus on helping her get better."

"Hey, I'm all for helping her Cate. She's my little girl!" He protested. "But I can't sit there and watch her destroy her whole life over one fling. And I'm not going to let whatever asshole did this to her do what I did. She deserves better then that."

Cate nodded. While it wasn't an immediate concern as much as the rest, the fact that Lux didn't want to tell them who she had been seeing did worry her. She had always though her and her daughter had a fairly open relationship.

"Do you even have a clue about who it could be? She never even talks about anyone outside of Tasha and Jones. Sometimes Sam. Or whatever chick's being a bitch to her at the time." Baze sighed heavily. "What if she's just ashamed of something?"

"I just…don't think she'd lie to us about that." Cate whispered, the wheels in her head turning.

"Cate…there's something she's not telling us…There's a reason she's not." He kept his gaze her. "I think we need to know what that is."

"So do I." Cate crossed her arms.

"Then what are we going to do?" Nathan Bazile, asking for advice. Who would have thought she'd see the day.

"I may have one idea…" She said slowly, not liking where this would take her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lux…it's okay. They're gone." Tasha rubbed her friend's back, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her friend had let go once her parents had gone. "It's okay."

"No, Tash, no it's not! Everything's messed up!" Lux sniffled. "Tash.." She strained, " I'm—"

"I heard." Tasha shook her head, not making her friend say it. The paling of her reddened features made her follow up quickly. "I …wasn't sure if it, ya' know…was still true."

She let go of her friend, allowing her lay back down. Lux swallowed, nodding. Her hand absentmindedly went to her abdomen. "It doesn't even seem like it could be real." Tasha could only guess to the thoughts that were going through her head.

"Is…" Tasha looked around the room to make sure Cate and Baze weren't going to waltz back into the room. "Is Mr. Daniels...you know?" Lux nodded again. _Fuck,_ Tasha thought to herself. She had doubted she'd get any other answer, but she had hoped slightly. "Does he know?" Another nod.

"We were on our way to talk to Cate and Ryan." She whispered, her eyes falling to her lap. "He…Tash, he was going to face them and risk everything –his livelihood and life Tash, just so he didn't have to leave me. So I didn't have to go through this alone."

The other girl bit her lip. At least he had the decency for that. She had to give the man some credit where it was due. He did seem to hate lying, and though she personally disagreed, he did look like he really cared about Lux. Which was more then she could say for a couple of Lux's early boyfriends. Even Bug had a way of stomping off when he didn't get his way.

"And now…" she choked up, the tears flowing freely now. "If he dies…I…"

"LUX, listen to me." Tasha took her friend's face in her hands. "He is NOT going to die. He has you, and this baby, to fight for. Minnesota might not be the most powerful dog on the team, but I'd bet his bite is worse then his bark."

"But Tash…what if it's something that the doctors can't control?" Lux looked around frantically. "What if this is this is what we get for what we're doing? What if it's something telling us that we're not supposed to be? This is my fault! I dragged him into this and—"

"NO, Lux." Tasha reinforced. "Some mechanic who should have his license pulled is to blame for this." She commanded the other's attention.

"You know I'm not his biggest fan, Lux. And yea, what you've gotten yourself into is shit. It's really not cool. But I know that it had to be some cosmic mistake because you're not that STUPID to not be safe." She wasn't about to let her entirely off the hook. "That doesn't change the fact that he's helped you. I mean would you have even considered looking for a college if he hadn't come along? Probably not."

"What you've been doing is screwed up. But it's worked for you. And maybe this isn't the universe telling you to split up. Maybe it's trying to tell you that you need to not hide from it anymore. Because the WAY it's been happening, THAT isn't healthy. Keeping all of this from Cate and Baze isn't' going to help you… but you're right… you can't worry about them right now."

She reached down to brush Lux's hair out of her face. "What you need to worry about is getting better. And keeping that baby safe. It's a part of him too, ya' know." She said softly, hoping that thought would calm her friend. "And I want first dibs on godmother-ship."

Lux smiled softly. "You've got it." Her eyes twinkled, mimicry of how they used to gleam.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

Not long after their talk Jones knocked on the door to join them. He waved at the cooped up blonde, cracking a joke about at least they'd be able to keep an eye on her for a night or so instead of her hopping from one place to the next. Lux wasn't entirely surprised to see him.

Tasha and Jones had been together since they hooked up. And while their back stories made them clash a little from time to time, they worked. He was the quarterback. She was the basketball star. She had saved the women's team from total shame. And this year they had actually been doing well. Which was probably why Tasha actually could move around circles Lux was lost to. No matter what, Jones had never stopped being friendly to Lux. To this day she wasn't sure as she often caused him more grief then anything else.

A much calmer Cate and Baze and Lux's doctor soon joined them. The man, about to leave from his shift wanted one last check in. He informed her parents that they'd been keeping her one more night, but if everything looked clear in the morning she could head home. There was a collective sigh of relief.

"I'll be fine," Lux reassured her parents. "But you should get home before Ryan dies of panic and tries to feed Alex on his own." Tasha snickered. They had seen Ryan's horrible attempts. They could win comedy video contests.

Cate nodded, not overly excited about leaving her daughter here. It was Tasha who offered to stay with her a little longer. Jones promised to bring her home before nine. After all, Tasha wasn't looking much more lively then either Cate or Baze. Accepting these terms, they departed.

Lux couldn't help how Baze avoided looking at her. Her heart twisted. She didn't like fighting with him. He had always been the one she was able to talk to. But she couldn't back down from this. She wouldn't.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

"Hey stranger." The voice called to her as Cate slipped her key into the front door and wearily pushed the door open. Her feet felt like lead. The last time she had slept more then ten minutes felt like so long ago now.

Kicking off her shoes she headed into the kitchen to be greeted with the sight of her husband over a pot of…well whatever it was, it smelled heavenly. Her son, droopy, cheered up in her presence, cooing happily. With a halfhearted peck of a kiss, she took her son away from her husband who instantly latched onto her.

"How is she?" Cate just shrugged, overwhelmed. She didn't want to delve into it right now. She need a moment of calm, a moment with the rest of her family.

"Hey there, Al…" She smiled down at him, her weariness disappearing at the now familiar weight. "Oh I missed you." She kissed the top of his forehead.

"And he missed you too." Ryan looked just as tired. "Took me two hours to get dinner into him. Hey! It's not a laughing matter."

Cate grabbed a spoon from the drawer with one hand and dipped it into the cooking pot despite Ryan's protest. Barely cool enough to not scald, she plopped it in her mouth and moaned with delight. Alex was as amused by her sound as she had been with Ryan's difficulties. "It's not my fault he's a momma's boy! Is it sweetheart?" She wrinkled her nose at the baby, tickling his feet causing him to howl with delight.

"Yea yea… Now, Momma should go relax before dinner." Ryan offered, taking Alex and setting him back in his highchair where he preoccupied himself with the two toys that lay on the mini counter.

"Why don't you go get a bath, I'll have the wine ready when you're out. We can talk after?" He suggested. Cate was more then gleeful to accept the proposition.

Running the bath water, she threw on a couple candles. Part of her felt guilty for taking time out like this when her baby girl was stuck in a place she hated and her godsend of a husband was taking over baby duty for her other one. But the warmth of the water and the rolling steam allowed her to breath, and her head to mull over the questions that had been going through her head.

She wanted to trust Lux. She didn't want to invade her privacy. So when was it okay to cross boundaries? She was pretty sure this would be considered an extenuating circumstance. Still, she doubted that Lux would easily forgive her for snooping around. Maybe she'd be lucky. Maybe Lux would be too preoccupied with trying to get Baze to get a head on his shoulders. Not that she liked the thought of using Lux's father as a scapegoat. At least, not anymore.

The water was growing cold by the time she finally stepped out. She slipped a nightdress over her head and a robe around her shoulders. Taking a seat on the lid of the toilet, she looked down at her purse that had come in with her. In it was the bag containing the personal effects they had taken off Lux. From this jumble of change and random things she pulled her daughter's cell phone.

She looked at it for several minutes. Inhaling sharply, bracing herself for the violation she was about to cause, she flipped it open and navigated her way to the contacts list. She saw herself and the usual family. Jamie and Math were there in addition to Tasha and Jones. She recognized most of the names, but one in particular stood out.

"Minnesota?" She said under her breath. She didn't know anyone from the state. The number wasn't one she had either. It could have been an old contact of Lux's. Who knew where the kids originated from she ended up staying with? Switching to the history she saw the number of calls to that particular contact almost doubled the collective of others. Cate's heart pounded.

_That has to be him_. Her head rang. In a moment of impulsiveness she hit the 'call' button. Two rings later a mechanical female voice spoke back at her, telling her the number she had dialed was out of service. That in itself was strange. The last time she had called the user was yesterday afternoon. It had been working then.

A light knock on the door told her that dinner was ready. Hurriedly, Cate shoved the phone back into her bag and stuffed the purse into one of the shelves on the bathroom stand. With a tired smile she exited the steaming room into the equally warm arms of Ryan. He squeezed her tightly, kissing her forehead contently before heading her towards dinner and the dreaded conversation where she'd have to relieve all of today's doubts and questions.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

"I just don't get it, Emma." Baze flopped down on his couch pulling her toward him. They had overcome a lot together. The fact that he was dating his father's former lover was just a little weird. But, we all made our mistakes. And there were some things you could forgive. Baze was shocked to find out that he could get by this one.

"She's a good kid. And the only time she lied to us—I mean really lied to us… I can see why she did that." He sighed, feeling her arms wrap around him.

"Has Sam said anything about her? Like if she's been acting weird or anything?" He tried.

"He hasn't said much of anything to me lately." She said with some regret.

Baze leaned his head back against the couch. Maybe he had overreacted. He just couldn't imagine what she couldn't trust him with. Sure, he had a bit of a temper at times. But she had to know it wouldn't be directed at her. She was the one thing he was unconditionally proud of. What was happening to her broke his heart because he knew that the perfect life he had wanted her to have since she walked into his life was over.

"Nathan?" Emma tried drawing him out of his trance, sliding her arms along his chest.

"You don't think…She won't tell us because she doesn't want someone else to know?" He asked. "It… It couldn't be Jones could it?" Emma laughed. "Well, he's the only guy she hangs out with. Well, other then Sam. And I'm pretty sure blood relation negates teenage hormones. And if she didn't want to hurt Tasha, she wouldn't tell us."

"I suppose it's possible. I don't think Lux would ever do that to her. And Jones seems way too caught up in Tasha for that matter." Emma reasoned, much to Baze's frustration.

"I don't know. GAH!"

"Then maybe you're not supposed to. " She offered, kissing his temple. "Maybe you need to just rest up, and take care of that little girl of yours.

Baze heaved in a breath again. That's what everyone kept telling him. It didn't calm the itch that made him want to do something. But his brain was too tired. And her ministrations weren't waking him up any.

"Come on, come to bed." She whispered into his ear. "Maybe things will be better in the morning." He groaned a half response, giving up, and letting himself be dragged away.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

When his cell had started vibrating in middle of intro to philosophy the last thing Grant Monroe had expected was to be thrown on a plane. Six hours and some change later, with cramped legs and a hand dead from his mother's worried squeezing, he found himself at the doorway to a foreign hospital. His mother had latched herself onto his father's arm. It wasn't until that she saw the brother of her first husband in the lobby that she let go and flung herself at him, her eyes puffy.

"Milly, it's okay." George rubbed her back. Whatever falling out she had had with her ex, they had and would always remain close. He'd stay if only because George was Eric's favorite uncle.

"How is he?" She choked.

"He'll be better once he sees the three of you." He said gently, showing them all the way towards the elevators.

Seeing them was a figure of speech, Eric's brother soon found out. His brother wouldn't be seeing anyone for quite some time. The monitors that attached to him showed a pulse. The mechanical whirling set a rhythm. But his eyes were closed shut, as he lay in dreaming oblivious to the map of bandages and wires that covered his torso.

The doctor had been with them almost immediately upon their arrival. It hadn't been the one who had been there when he was admitted, but she had been briefed on the situation. It wasn't until seeing the bruised and swelled version of their relative that the extent of his injuries fully set in.

According to the doctor the initial crash had bruised two of his ribs at least and fractured another. The fractured one had pierced his lung. Luckily, the EMT on site had been able to see the complication and was able to inject the decompression in a timely manner. Additionally, there was a sign of some swelling in the brain that they believed to be moderate too severe. A recent scan had seemed promising. But with such a set of problems and his lack of consciousness, which medication most likely also contributed to, it was important to keep him under critical care.

"When will he wake up?" His mother had asked.

"That's up to time and him. If the swelling comes down, we might decrease his meds. See if we get more of a response. Since we've had more time to monitor him his progress has been promising. But, the longer the swelling stays up and he stays under, the longer recovery will be. And I have to warn you that any type of brain injury, the aftermath is unclear."

"We won't be able to judge what real damage has been done until he's with us again. He has a series of scans scheduled tomorrow with our hospital's best neurologist." She added on. "He could be out of here in a few weeks if he wakes up soon. He may be a few months. I have to stress the if there."

"What do you mean IF?" His mother snapped. Usually, Melinda Monroe (nee Daniels) was the calmest and most endearing person you could meet. But Grant had seen her more frazzled then a lose electrical wire in the past day. He could understand why.

"Mom, you know they have to say that stuff. Suing and all." He put a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"My baby is going to be FINE." She told the doctor, flatly.

"We hope so." The doctor added, having a lot of experience with hysterical family members. "Even still, while we're hopeful, I do have to inform you that with this kind of injury the longer someone's under the longer the chances of them staying unconscious increases. We shouldn't worry just yet. But it is a possibility." The words almost sent Mrs. Monroe into another state of frenzy.

"Would you mind leaving us for a few minutes?" Grant's father stepped into the conversation, laying a firm hand on his wife's shoulder in the process. The doctor nodded adding that they could have one of the nurses page her at any time.

It was hard to look at his brother. He was about six years younger then the teacher. So his earliest memories always included him as his hero. Eric hadn't been a large or intimidating boy. But he had been compassionate to his younger brother's constant tagging along. He was always there whenever he needed him. He seemed to get along with almost everybody, and managed to keep an upbeat sense of humor. To be honest he had always wanted to be like his brother. Even if their interests diverged and Grant found himself to be a little sharper tongued.

But he wasn't confident here. Here, Eric was a shadow. He was defenseless. Grant watched as his mother took his hand, talking to him. Their father –as they both called him as their mother and him had been married since Eric was three – stood quietly behind her. He was a man of few words; which was probably why when he spoke people listened. And now, all he could do was physically be there to help his wife and their eldest.

That pissed Grant off. He was never good at waiting. He wasn't patient, and he didn't like not having anything he could actually do. His fingers itched. He pushed back the urge to find something to punch.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

"Sleep well?" Cate asked as she pulled up to the teen's apartment. Luckily, it was a Saturday. Tasha had agreed to meet her outside so that they could go together to check on and hopefully pick up Lux. Ryan had stayed behind to get the downstairs couch area all prepped and ready to go. They didn't want her to have to lug herself up and down the stairs all the daylong.

"Like a log." Tasha said truthfully. The events had caught up with her. And by the time she had crawled into bed she was half alive as it was.

"Lucky." Cate smiled, trading horror stories of Alex's now delightfully skewed bedtime schedule.

Tasha smiled, half paying attention. A silence fell between them. What she had said was only half true. She had been up half the night worrying about what she had found, or what little she had that was more like it. Chewing on her lip, Cate decided to take the plunge.

"So, Tasha," She started pulling up to a red light. "Do you know who Lux has been hanging around with these days?" Tasha snorted.

"Really, Cate?" She rolled her eyes over at the older woman who nodded, realizing how tactless she was. "It's not like I could really tell you anything."

"Can't or won't?" Cate demanded, sending a look to the passenger seat. Tasha looked out the window, avoiding looking at the older woman.

"We're just worried you know. And I want to make sure she's really okay. But if she hasn't told us about someone so important, what else could she be hiding? And…who the heck does she know from _Minnesota_ anyway? I mean… didn't the Canadians like, adopt that state already or something?"

"You have been hanging around Baze waaaay too much." Tasha grinned.

"I'm serious though, Tash. Lux has been through a lot. And she's smart. But I don't want anyone taking advantage of her because of that." She tried not to let the humor that had passed them take over.

"Look, Cate…I know this is bad. I get it. And as screwed up as this whole thing is…and as messed up as this is going to sound…. Minnesota's been amazing for her. You've seen how much she's taken a charge of her life lately. Yea, we helped. But mostly? It was him. So just… don't push her. Or him. He's probably the one man in the world who wouldn't abandon her on sight."

Cate almost slammed on the breaks. "Then he IS the father?" Tasha looked over her at wide eyes.

"She didn't tell you that?" The shock on Cate's face was all the answer she needed. Tasha groaned, slamming her head against the back of the seat. "Oh Lux is going to kill me. How…did you even KNOW that name then?"

It was Cate's time to shy away. "I may…I may have found her phone."

"CATE!"

"I know, I know!" She countered quickly, turning into the hospital's parking lot.

"Look, I won't tell Lux that you said that. She doesn't need to know. We'll keep that between us, alright?" She promised Tasha. The seventeen year old looked like she was about to bury herself underground. But at confirmation she agreed.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

"That's it, Lux. Just take it easy." Cate helped her daughter onto her feet, watching her flinch.

The doctor had been right. She felt like she had fallen down a flight of stairs gotten up and done so again. But she had been given a clear. She would have a check up on Monday, and depending on her progress from there could return to school on Tuesday or possibly Friday. Until her Monday appointment she was to slowly return to movement. She wasn't to overdo it.

It had taken her three times as long as normal to get dressed. But once on her feet, she was doing all right. It made her feel just a slightly in control again. That was something she didn't think she'd have for a long time.

"Listen, I'm going to go sign her out." Cate offered. "Do you guys want to stay here or go out to the car?"

Lux breathed in. She could feel Tasha squeezing her hand. It was like her friend to know what she was thinking.

"Actually, Cate," Tasha spoke up. "Do you think maybe we could go up and check on Mr. Daniel's?"

"Oh my gosh! Of course." She had forgotten about their teacher. "I'm not sure if he's still where he was, but I'll meet you up there okay? If he's alright tell him thank you for me, okay?"

"Sure! Come on Lux, I'll help you." Tasha offered.

Once out of Cate's sight Lux breathed in relief. "Thanks, Tasha." She smiled. She had slept just about as well as Cate had the night before. Except her thoughts were centered on how much she despised hospitals. And a certain other current resident.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

He needed a break. Grant had had enough. He couldn't stand here anymore. He needed air. Excusing himself he asked his mother if she needed anything. She shook her head. So he was off to find air, and something to drink, and possibly inquire about local hotels.

What he hadn't expected was to exit and see two girls who definitely weren't hard on the eyes looking around as if they were trying to avoid the nurse's station. One looked a little worse for wear and the other looked a little uncomfortable. But where there was distress, there was a chance to help. And where there was a shoulder to cry on was a good sympathy point or two.

"It's a little bit of a mess here, isn't it?" He walked up, smiling his best at the girls. He was sure he wasn't that much of a looker with his plane ride and sleepless night. But she smiled thankfully anyway.

"Was just trying to look for someone I know. They never told me what room he was put in, but I don't want to bother the nurses. I'm sure they've got their hands full here." The blonde tried to cover –or at least he thought. But the smile would have worked on a grinch, he thought.

"Maybe I can help?" He offered. "I've been up and down these halls enough I could probably see the nameplates in my sleep." If he got any, that was. "I'm Grant."

"Lux." The blond offered. "This is Tasha."

Lux? That sounded really familiar. Too familiar, in fact.

"_Oh come on, bro. I know you don't hop through them every week, but there's got to be at least one chick that's caught your eye. They can't all be half bad. It wasn't like Laurie was a looker." He had teased his older brother when he had said he wasn't seeing anyone. _

"_It's not all about looks." He had responded. _

"_So she's ugly?" _

"_No, she's gorgeous." The response was instinctual._

"_OH! I knew it! Come on man, you got to tell me something. A name, anything." He begged. _

"_Okay, okay." His brother sighed, caving in. "Lux. Her name is Lux." _

"Oh SHIT." He slipped out a little too loud the connection clicking. "You're Lux? Eric's Lux? Well not shit, how many Luxes are there?" He corrected himself. "You must be here to see my brother." A wave of recognition floated over Lux's face.

"Uh yea. We are."

Grant looked behind his shoulder. His mother was still in there. She wasn't really willing to see company right now. It was likely that it wouldn't go over well. But, hell, Lux looked like she was about to fall over. He didn't have the heart to give her the round about.

"Okay, then uh…follow me. But, I warn you, mom's a little shaken up. She's not really herself." Lux nodded in understanding and with Tasha's help followed him back.

Arriving back at the room he knocked on the door to alert his parents of the newcomers. Defensive and her nerves shot, his mother instantly stood up, coming to the door to block their way in or their line of sight. She gave Lux and Tasha a hard once-over that read loud clue: and who exactly are these two?

"Um, Mrs. Daniels."

"Monroe."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry Eric never told me that." She said, blushing a bit. "How is he doing?"

"How does it LOOK like he's doing?" Her voice was less bitter and more broken. Her husband patted her shoulder, attempting to maneuver her out of the way but she stayed still. Despite their straining, all either could see was the tips of the monitors and a corner of the bed.

"I'm sorry. It's just… I was in the truck with him. I've been worried…" This was obviously not the right thing to say to the hurting mother.

"Oh, and exactly how were YOU so lucky then?" She snapped. "You're up and about and FINE! And my baby…."

"MOM." Grant snapped loudly seeing the plowed looked over on the blonde's face. Her darker haired friend was scowling, obviously not that pleased with the woman. "It's not her fault, okay?"

"Not her fault? Then WHO'S FAULT IS IT, that my SON is in there DYING while SHE is dancing around?" She choked.

"Hey, Hey, what is this about dying?" Tasha turned to see the gray-eyed man that she and Jones had instructed last night. "I don't see anyone dying here."

"Oh! Hey there! You must be the good luck charm!" He smiled down at Lux and winked at Tasha.

Mrs. Monroe started to speak but was held back. Grant's father said his name, and he knew. Bad timing. She could see the sparks flying between his mother and his uncle. Clearing his throat he gently touched Lux's arm to lead her and Tasha away from the room. Cate was standing close to the door.

"Lux are you okay?" She asked, worried, looking between the strange boy and her two girls.

"Yea, I'm fine. His mom's just been through a lot." She said, obviously shaken.

"I can understand why." Cate said truthfully, looking at Grant with an expectation.

"Yea, sorry about that. Mom can get a little emotional when it comes to Eric. Well, me too I guess." He laughed nervously. "Plus the long trip here...short notice doesn't mean great flight selection."

"Oh? How far did you come from?" Cate's question made Tasha freeze, and instantly try to silently signal 'no' to him. He didn't get the message in time.

"Minnesota. Little place, Scandia, you wouldn't know it. We flew out of Minneapolis." He said casually. He also seemed to notice the instant shock that flashed across Cate and Tasha's faces alike.

Hearing his uncle George call to him, he had to make quick of the conversation. Apologizing again he offered for them to come back later. He promised to try to get his mother calmed down a little bit. Tasha told him not to worry about it. They'd catch up with him at some point.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

Lux knew something was wrong. When Cate was in mother hen mode, she couldn't be stopped when it came to chattering. And Tasha, who was usually up to par in conversation with quips, was trying to instigate it. Had something happened while she was away?

Fortunately the ride home wasn't as tortuously long as she had thought. Lux couldn't believe how awesome the sight of Cate's house was marvelous. As was the open door and Baze and Ryan both waiting for her. Tasha smiled as she helped her friend out of the car and up the stairs. Lux had almost told the doctor he was crazy about the limitations. But from the short trip up to ICU to up these stairs, she found herself wiped out.

"Hey there beautiful." Ryan greeted her. Alex cooed seeing his sister, grabbing at her hair playfully as Ryan gave her a hug.

Baze was even, making a good attempt to be warm. Lux appreciated it. If it was Tasha's presence or Ryan's, he seemed willing to drop his accusations for the moment. It probably helped with Cate ushering them towards the living room. Lux went wide-eyed. In just a short amount of time it had been transformed into a mini room.

"Seesh, Ryan. Is there anything left in my room?" She laughed, plopping down on her comforter. Tasha sat by her instantly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You gals just relax. We've got to get some food into you. Whatever they put on the trays in hospitals is not food." Ryan said pointedly. "And I don't want to hear a thing about me feeding you too much. Cate gave me hell when I made her eat right for Alex. She looks fine. You're younger, so no ifs ands or buts!" He pointed a finger at her.

Lux smiled appreciatively. He had been the first one to talk about the baby in a way that wasn't chopping her down three feet. She didn't have to say it. He caught how she felt. Somehow, she couldn't enjoy it, knowing that Baze had read it too and flinched in neglect. He also was three shades of awesome for cooking up things that wouldn't make her jaw hurt for a week—it was one of the few things that didn't feel bruised all to hell.

The afternoon passed pleasantly. Tasha tried to talk to her about what little she had picked up in the classes they had together. Jones had given her the work from World. Baze must have asked a dozen times if she was okay, and said he wanted her over when she could if he was going to give his weekend to Cate this time around. She smiled and nodded, but didn't make a promise. Cate stayed mostly quiet. She was in her own little world.

When everyone had left, and Cate had watched her take the vitamins and medication the doctor had prescribed her, Ryan took off to give Alex his bath –something Lux usually did. He made sure she knew he owed her. Lux chuckled.

Once alone Cate folded back the comforter, making chitchat about having enough room and space. Shooing Lux off to the rest room to change when Ryan and a squeaky clean Alex came back the radio producer breathed out. She could do this. Ryan looked at her quizzically but she smiled him off, accepting his goodnight kiss and promising to be in soon.

Lux returned to find her mother looking at her feet, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Okay I don't know how you snagged Ryan, but after this even I would have married him." She tried to joke. It didn't go over well. "Oooohkay." She said slowly, taking the cushion beside her mother for her own.

"Lux?" Her mother turned to her.

"Yea?"

"You weren't walking home last night, were you?" She said plainly. She caught the quick flash in Lux's face.

"What are you talking about?" She gave her a confused smile, but her voice betrayed her.

"Lux." Her mother's voice stiffened. "How long have you been seeing Mr. Daniels?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own.

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in update. I'll try to get the next chapter up a little early as repayment. I give no promise on that, though. I usually have a little extra done by the time I post a chapter. That's not the case this time.

* * *

This wasn't happening. Cate didn't say what she thought she had. There was something wrong. She had been so careful! How could she know?

"Lux. How long?" Cate repeated, her neutral face twitching with a hint of anger.

"What are you talking about?" Lux shot back trying to feign disgust. Her heart thundered in her ears. Her dizziness had nothing to do with the medication that was slowly kicking in.

"Tasha told me." Cate said softly.

"WHAT?" Lux stood up, shocked. The weight of the cast on her arm nearly toppled her over when matched with the velocity.

"She didn't tell me exactly." Cate countered, realizing what she had. "But when I told asked her about Minnesota, she implied that it was the one and the same as the father. She didn't mean to Lux."

"How do you even KNOW about Minnesota?" All filters were gone. She was going to kill Tasha. She was dead. They were going to kill her.

"It doesn't matter."

"HA! Funny. Last time I said that to YOU, you didn't seem to agree with me." She shot back, her cheeks flushing with anger.

"Hey, hey!" Ryan came out from around the corner, sweats hanging haphazardly around him. "Everything okay out here?" He looked hard at Lux, and then his wife. Lux froze. She had thought of what Baze would do. But Ryan? He loved her just as much as the bio did. He had to be at his last straws when it came to being so accommodating in this situation. He wasn't a saint. How would he react?

"Everything's fine." Cate said calmly. "Girl stuff." Lux looked down at her mother, confused. Why was she hiding this? Why would she?

"Lux?" Ryan caught her attention. She nodded in collaborating with Cate's claim. He seemed skeptical but disappeared back into the bedroom.

When he was out of sight, Lux sat back down. She couldn't speak. Her fist balled, lying heavily on her knee. She found a small hand covering it. Frightened she looked over at her mother.

"I promise you, I won't tell him. Not right now. But you need to work with me, Lux. You need to give me a reason not to." She squeezed her other hand. "Help me understand this. Because I don't know if I can. And if I can't you know Baze won't be able to." She stopped, breathing. "Help me, sweetie, so that I can help you."

Lux stared for a moment. How was this happening? How could Cate be this patient? How could she NOT be seething? Lux couldn't say she didn't understand why they'd be angry. She could see tolerance, but there was also a hint of irritation at the lengthy pause in the conversation.

"He didn't know I was sixteen." She started, her work making her mother's eyes shoot up. "When he first met me, the Open Bar was closed but I was behind the counter. I was confused, Bug had just proposed. And I don't know, it just felt nice talking to him. Clearly not a city boy, waaaay too naive." She rolled her eyes at the memory. "It was refreshing. And I figured, Portland's huge… the chances I'd see him again were minimal. So, I let him believe it."

" Nothing happened." Cate didn't need to know every detail. "But there was something there." Her mother was listening attentively.

"Of course, I go to school the next day and…" She let the sentence trail off. Cate nodded.

She continued on, doing her best to pull one leg up to hug it as she talked. It was a little difficult given her restrictions. But keeping something close to her made her comfortable. As she continued on, telling her mother about how they had kept it all a secret. Lux recalled all the times he had helped her –with her problems that Cate, Baze, and Ryan were too consumed with something else to hear, or her own personal issues be it education related or otherwise. She confessed about Tasha covering for them and begged her mother not to interrupt. She didn't know if she'd be able to continue if she stopped.

She told Cate about how he had told her that he loved her the day of the trial. The thought made her cheeks burn to this day. She explained how soon after he had gone away only to come back to her. That was right after her seventeenth birthday. With a great deal of awkwardness she mumbled that's when things had taken another shift in their relationship.

"But I swear to you," She kept her focus on her mother unwilling, or unable, to look away, "He never pressured me into anything. If anything he's been TOO cautious around me." She laughed. "I've never felt used or like he was just in it because I was younger."

"I know a thousand girls must say this, Cate, but he understands me better then I do myself sometimes. And no, he's not manipulating me. It's more like; he makes me face truths I didn't want to admit to. He calls me out on my bull and pushes me to be a better person. And I…for the life of me…can't figure out how he can even put UP with me some times. But he DOES."

"I don't think it's just about trying to find someone to protect or fix. He could do that without wanting to be with me. Cate… I know it's wrong. I know that it shouldn't be possible for someone like him to love someone like me… but I truly think he does." She pleaded before turning her eyes back to the floor.

"We were coming here, that night. It's why I called, to make sure you were home. He said enough was enough. He didn't want me to face you alone. He..." her throat had begun to tighten. "He said he didn't care what happened to him, he didn't want me to have to put my life on hold. He didn't want you to put the blame on me." She put her forehead against her knee. She felt her mother's hand at her back rubbing slow circles.

The hand turned into a hug. Cate was mumbling something her ear that she didn't comprehend. She came apart in the maternal embrace around her. The floodgates had opened. And while she knew there would be pain to come, Lux was taken aback at how therapeutic it had been not to have to keep all of this from Cate. She only hoped that how she felt, how they felt about one another, came through in a way that Cate would be able to understand.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

Cate's feet felt heavy against the floor as she walked away from the dozing teenager on the couch. Teenager. The word reverberated in her head. Before it was an ominous taunt of how much time she had missed, how much her daughter still needed to be a kid. What was it now? Her confidence, the way she had spoken, what she was going through right now, Cate wasn't quite so sure she could keep that same philosophy now.

"Hey?" Ryan pushed himself up on his side when she finished the long trek down the corridor and rounded the corner to her room. "What was that all about?" Concern lined his face.

Cate shook her head. She had changed while Lux was getting ready for bed. But the slippers she tossed off felt like rocks. A few sluggish steps more she was kneeling on the bed. Her husband was waiting for her with open arms. She gladly fell into them to lay her head on his chest. Her eyes dropped as she felt a large hand make its way through her hair.

"Thank you." She murmured.

"For?" He said against her.

"Acting like this isn't a problem. For being the only one who's remotely in control… as always. I know it can't be as easy as you're making it look." She cranked her head up to look at him directly.

"No, it's not." He admitted. That was one thing they had tried to work on –being honest without compromising a safe sense of self. "But I know it's what you guys need. That makes it a little easier."

Cate stared at him. She didn't know Mr. Daniels well, but if he made her feel remotely as safe as Ryan was making her now…she could see why Lux was infatuated with him. Which was what made this entire situation so insufferable. Everything logical in her head was screaming no. She didn't need to keep her word to Lux. She could tell Ryan, or Baze. They could check this guy out if not drive him away before he hurt her. Not that he could do much more damage then he already had. But something was holding her back.

Lux was always passionate. That was another trait she inherited from her –and the teenage years. It would be easy to get swept up by someone and believe your were in love. Maybe she really was in love with this man. There was a slim chance he genuinely cares for if not loves her –a thought that didn't settle so well with Cate. But at that age, with these things that chance was so thin.

It was that annoying little thread of a chance that made her snuggle in closer to her husband. It made her wonder if it was safe to trust in someone as malleable as a teen. Miniscule as it was, it kept her quiet until she found restless sleep in the arms of someone she knew loved her.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

That stupid alarm clock. He was going to kill it. No, really. He was. How could one little piece of plastic and wire make a sound so irritating that it could wake up the dead? And from the way his head pounded from one too many beers and a previous lack of sleep—he wasn't entirely certain he didn't have zombie status. He'd have to watch out for a craving for brains.

The sun that leaked through his curtains was what finally dragged him out of bed. He almost mumbled to Emma to turn it off only to remember she had to leave last night after she made sure he was going to be okay. Looking over at his clock he realized that it wasn't just beeping for a minute. He had snored through forty-five minutes of it's insistent blaring. Where the hell was Math this early on a Sunday?

The screech of the alarm was soon replaced with the shivering of the telephone tone. Baze growled to himself as he threw his pillow across the room. Lunging across the mattress he fumbled for the wireless.

"What?" He snapped still not alert in his morning buzz.

"Well hello to you too!" The voice said with a hint of laughter on the other line.

"...Paige?" Baze half yawned, scrubbing his face with his hand.

"That would be me. You're apparently still alive." Baze hadn't seen Ryan's sister since she moved out after a job opportunity came up six months ago.

"So I'm going to be in town...maybe for a while." She moved on when there was a dead response. "Was wondering if my old room was still open at least for the weekend. Unless you have Lux it's kind of crowded over at Ry's place." She was never too slow to the point.

"Uh, yea. Sure. It's still open." He managed to say through his fog. "You...haven't talked to Ryan have you?"

"Should I?" She paused in their conversation, now curious to where he was going with this.

OH boy. Baze took a deep breath. From his mouth flowed the tale that was the past two days. For once, he listened to Paige be silent. That was shocking in its own right. As he did so he got out of bed attempting to become fit for the day. When he was done, full vent about Lux's secrecy, he took a deep breath. "But, thanks for telling her about Geezer…or whatever his name was. I guess you helped out Mr. Daniel's family."

"Who?" Paige asked. Baze recognized the sound of her distraction.

"Uh, Eric? Is that his name? Lux's tutor…the one you dated for a while."

"No no, I _KNOW_ him." He could almost hear the giggle in her voice. "The other person." That caused Baze to pause his task of grabbing clothes from his drawer.

"Geezer." Baze repeated. "His uncle who lives in state?"

"He has an uncle in Oregon? I thought all his family was back in Minnesota." She questioned.

He repeated the conversation the doctor had with Lux that afternoon in the hospital. But Paige was still stumped. Finally, Paige moved on asking when would be a good time for her to pop by. When Baze hung up the phone he stared at the device for a long minute.

Something wasn't right.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

Cate sat on the couch, watching her daughter play on the rug with Alex. Ryan had told her that when he had woken up, Lux had him in her lap feeding him breakfast. He hadn't asked how she had managed him with one arm out. But as the day progressed it was clear that Lux was trying to keep busy with him.

She was going out of her mind. The hints were subtle but obviously there to someone who knew her as well as Cate did. Or, at least, she thought she knew her well. Things weren't always, as they appeared it seemed. Every few minutes she'd catch her daughter sneaking a look at the phone almost willing it to ring. Or to use it. Cate wasn't sure.

Tasha had stopped by around 11, but Lux had spent most of the conversation ensuring her friend that it was okay for her to go to Jones' football match. They were facing their mortal enemy tonight after all. In her daughter's words, 'You have better things to do then helping me not mope.' Lux was good at acting, Cate realized. Maybe it's something they should encourage her to do?

Around one Lux finally relinquished her little brother to his father saying she better try to tackle the schoolwork her friends had given her. If that wasn't hint enough that something was off, Cate wasn't sure what one would be. Ryan walked over to her at the couch also watching Lux head into the kitchen to make use of the chair and table there.

"Well. That's one good thing at least—she's really good with him. First-time parenting might not be as hard on her." He said regrettably. Cate nodded somberly.

Their homely peace was interrupted by a heavy knock on the door. Cate groaned but swung onto her feet. She had a good idea of who it was. Sure enough, on the other side, Baze stood half messed.

"Forget where you hid your brush?" She asked half-heartedly, not really feeling up to the usual banter exchange they went through.

"Lux lied to us." He said plainly. Cate opened her mouth but no response came before he continued on. "Paige didn't tell her about Geezer." Cate just nodded.

"Okay?" The fog that covered her mind was hard to navigate. From the conversation she and her daughter had the previous night she knew exactly how Lux had learned the information she did. But she had also sworn herself to secrecy. "Then he mentioned him in passing maybe?" Baze shook his head.

"I say we get down there and question this teacher of hers ourselves." Cate recognized that look. It was the driven wildness that always sent shivers along her spine.

"Baze, look. Don't you think you're making quite a jump?" She placed one hand on her hip.

"Am I Cate? Because from where I'm standing—"

"From where you're standing, your daughter is in trouble. You don't know how to help. And when that happens, when you see you're not in control, you go crazy." She said quickly. Harshly. He hadn't expected that.

"Look, that guy may not even be awake let alone up to questioning. His family is likely to be just as defensive as you are now. So before we go rushing in to make accusations, don't you think we might want to consider other possibilities first?" She rambled on, seeing the confliction arise in Lux's father.

"Exactly. Now, Baze, why don't we just give Lux today? Just today. We can start this talk after her appointment tomorrow. Alright?" She offered, not pushing him out the door, as he hadn't come in.

"Oh. Okay?" He was uncertain.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She turned to the coat rack at the doorway that held her coat and car keys. "I'm out of milk."

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

Tasha sat on the bleacher, the cold air swirling around her face despite her scarf and a hat she had unabashedly stolen from Lux. What could she say? Their style wasn't the same but Lux knew what was warm. The game itself was nearly tied, having just passed the intermission. The opposing team had one touchdown to their name with an additional field goal in the try. The home team had two field goals, making them one point below their enemies.

Needless to say the audience was getting antsy. Seeing her boyfriend back on the field she cheered loudly with half the crowd. It wasn't over until it was over. And they had two more quarters to go. Focused on the start she almost didn't notice the body slip beside her on the bleachers.

"So. Tasha." The person addressed almost jumped until she saw who it was.

"Hey Courtney." She said, turning her head back to the game.

Like her, Courtney had a guy on the team. Unlike Tasha, she could be an absolute bitch. The girl from the foster system tried to give her some slack. She knew how it was when new people came onto your turf. She also knew that everyone had their own baggage to deal with. And half the time what they said to you was to get away from their own shitty lives. From what she had heard, Courtney had her fair share of demons.

"You know that Steph's mother is in the police force, right?" She asked casually in between hoots of encouragement.

"I guess I heard that." Tasha replied keeping her eye on the advance. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"I heard from her that Lux got into an accident. That's why she wasn't around Friday."

"Yea. So?"

"She was in the car with Mr. Daniel's right?" Courtney was fishing. Tasha knew that look in someone's eye.

"So tell me…" She leaned closer to whisper in Tasha's ear. "Did he go off the road 'cause she was blowing him? She _has_ been doing awfully well in class lately. Can't say I really blame her for that one, but…"

Tasha snapped, scooting away as fast as possible. The person beside her was apparently oblivious to the girls' conversation. She could tolerate a lot. Taking down her best friend was not on that list of things she could ignore. Especially not right now.

"Okay, first, she was only in that truck because she needed a ride and he knows her family. Second." She leaned back into Courtney's space, controlling, and the scowl very apparent. "Lux may be a lot of things, but she wouldn't sink down to YOUR level—believe me, girl, janitors closets are not the best places to sneak around in. Poor idiots like me who stop at near by water fountains hear a damn lot."

"So before you go flapping your jaws around school, trying to bring down my girl just because you're damn jealous of the fact that if he WAS some kind of pedo she'd be a million places ahead in the line before you, just remember that Lux is guilt free. But there are a dozen girls in that school who think just about as highly of you as you do of her. And I can PROMISE you that with the right amount of pressure, I could get them to come down on you. And sadly, not in the way you'd like." Tasha stood up straight, slamming her boot on the metal bench beside where the other girl was sitting before she trounced off to another place.

As she walked, a heavy feeling settled in her stomach. Why did she feel like she had just made a horrible mistake? Why hadn't she just waved her off?

Crap.

]0[ ]0[ ]0[ ]0[

After Cate had left, and Baze had ashamedly followed her to make sure she was actually getting milk, he found himself driving around Portland aimlessly. He didn't feel like going back to the loft. He couldn't go and check on Lux after his confrontation with Cate. Somehow, as if his brain was on autopilot, he found himself pulling into the hospital parking lot.

Before he knew where his feet were taking him, he found himself up in the ICU. He knew what Cate had said. His blood was boiling. At the very least he had to see what kind of shape this guy was in. If he wasn't still there and was about, then he might not be able to hold back.

With a quick question to the receptionist, she pointed to a door a little ways down the hall. She took a moment to caution him that the mood surrounding it was not always a pleasant one. Before he could make the way down the hallway a teen that wasn't too much older then daughter walked up to him leaving a woman he assumed to be his mother.

"You're Lux's dad?" He asked with some hesitation.

"Uh…yea?" He looked between the young man and his mother who had gone from a neutral sadness to a deep frown.

"I'm Grant, Eric's younger brother. His doctor told us she was the one who tipped him off on how to get in touch with Uncle George. Thank her for us, will you?" Baze heard his mother rush.

At that moment there was a rush in the room. All moved aside as a gurney was brought through. Doctors followed him, with a pair of police officers trailing behind. The brother's mother seemed about to say something to Baze when one of the officers calmed and backtracked. Her partner had already headed out the door.

"Mr. Bazile, right?" her eyes were tired but attentive. "My daughter knows yours. I told her about the accident. How is she doing?" She said slowly.

"She should be fine…" Baze said, the relief of saying it out loud was more then he imagined.

"You were there?" Mr. Daniel's mother piped up.

"Yes ma'am." She affirmed. The mother introduced herself quickly. "I take it your son's still not in the clear?" Grant took his mother's hand for confidence.

"I know this is hard for you, but as far as I'm concerned your son's a hero." Both parents looked at her curiously. "I think it's safe to say that you owe that young man your daughter's life." She began as she shifted her weight from one side to another.

"When we came upon the scene, it was clear that Mr. Daniels had deliberately quickly changed his initial course to take her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. When we found them. He had then used himself to become a shield for her. She was almost completely covered by him." Baze couldn't help but look at Eric's mother. Her paleness was probably echoed in his own face.

"I suppose it's reassuring to see that teachers still care this much. We were considering talking Steph's little sister into going elsewhere. But if Westmonte has that kind of care… maybe not."

Baze stood, his jaw a little loose. He knew that he was hurt, that he was driving. But for the first time he took a glance into the room. What he saw made him sick—and not just because of the patched and bruised body.

"Excuse me." He mumbled before making a run for the exit.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Nope. Still not mine.

A/N: I wanted to thank all of your for your patience. It may take me a little longer to get chapters out now but I'll attempt to stay on a once-a-week schedule even if it didn't turn out that way this week. This one has a little more meat to it –I hope this will help make up for the delay.

MANY thanks to all of you who left me such wonderful and encouraging words. And to EvelynMM, without whom I don't know what I'd do when it came to this story.

* * *

Lux tapped her free fingers anxiously against the padded exam top. The room was a decent temperature but she felt a bit chilled. Cate was beside her, looking strangely cheerful considering the reason they were here. Lux raised her eyebrows questionably at her.

"It seems like just yesterday I was where you are." She reached out to push Lux's hair out of her face.

"A pregnant teenager?" Lux regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Cate tensed up completely. "Sorry." she mumbled. She hadn't meant it the way it came out—for once. It was the nerves.

"I meant with you and Ryan here, when we first saw Alex." She said fondly, her eyes misting over slightly at the thought of her son. There was something about Cate's reflective happiness that made a similar expression. Was it one of those natural instinct things? Would she grin like that one day when her baby was here?

"And with you." Cate's eyes became darker, her voice a little more complicated. But she wasn't lying. "It...It wasn't the best situation. And I always knew how it would end...well sort of…" She smirked playfully and Lux knew what she meant. Lux had thrown a bit of a kink into everyone's plans that day.

"You love me now for it." She teased back.

"Don't push it." For the first time since the accident both of them found themselves laughing.

Lux didn't understand how they had come to this. She wasn't totally convinced that it was a permanent truce. But for now, this particular moment, she was glad that they were able to be like this. Cate hadn't mentioned Eric since their conversation. Lux could only hope that she'd keep her promise not to tell Baze right away. Instead they had switched their focus onto what seemed to be at the forefront of Cate's mind at the moment—the baby.

She had expected more anger over the proof of her affair. It wasn't exactly the ideal occurrence for anyone involved. Now that she was on her own side of the coin, Lux was beginning to think she understood how Cate had felt all those years ago. She had been young and as far as she knew alone. She couldn't give the child she carried a life it deserved and she couldn't find her own. Lux had always understood that, and come to terms with the things Cate couldn't have controlled, but now she _got _it.

At the same time, she wasn't Cate. She hadn't lived the same life. She also had one thing Cate hadn't at that point in her life. Lux didn't have someone who ignored her and her situation. She had Eric—who had been everything Baze hadn't. Or did she? The tight ball of uneasiness she had been able to bury started to tighten her throat. Luckily, her specialist came through the door with a plastered smile and alert eyes.

"Hey Lux, I'm Dr. Anders. How are we feeling today?"

Lux held in her breath before starting the chitchat that would lead to one thing she was absolutely positive she was certainly not ready for.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

The knot that had tied itself in her stomach hadn't budged since her confrontation with Courtney during the football match. No amount of victory partying could relieve the itch from the back of Tasha's mind. Now as she walked through the corridors of Westmonte she felt like a giant coil. The world was moving slowly around her, inch by inch compressing her more until she could hear one clue that would send her flying into oblivion.

"Hey." The sound of Jones' voice made her jump half a mile. When she turned to face him she looked like the cat who had jumped into the bathtub. "Whoa, whoa. It's just me." Me smiled down at her, reaching out to take a hold of one of her shoulders.

"You okay? You left pretty early last night." He didn't want her to think he was offended. He was just worried. His girlfriend was always a highlight at any gathering someone had. "Is Lux okay?" The thought snapped into his head.

"She's fine." Tasha reassured him, loosely wringing free of his grip and turning to continue on her way down the hall. "Well, I think she is. She's at a checkup right now. She promised to give me a call when she was done." She took her cell, which was set on silent, out and waved it nonchalantly around him.

This was safe. This was normal conversation for the moment. This had nothing to do with her threatening a very dangerous girl. Courtney may be a bitch, but she was a smart bitch. She was quick to remind Jones that if everything when all right Lux might be back in school the following day.

"Yea, about that…" Jones said, keeping close to the foster teen. "Not sure that would be best right now." He looked around the halls as if something was going to bite him.

"Jones." Tasha stopped in her tracks. Her glare could knock down a pro wrestler. She didn't need to say 'tell me' to have him hear the command.

"You just, you know how high school is. A bunch of kids say a bunch of shit." He cleared his throat attempting to move the conversation along as he started walking in spite of her.

"And what 'shit' are they saying?" She snapped, that knot fusing together permanently.

"A lot of people don't know that Math knows Mr. Daniels, that's all." He tried, stopping once he got to his classroom, still unable to look her in the face. "They're reading way too much into this whole thing. I mean, Lux wouldn't be that stupid. And Mr. Daniels doesn't seem like that type of guy, even if he's not our typical sub." He tried to roll this off his shoulders to show her it was okay. He took this in stride.

Tasha felt the weight crash down on her shoulders. She found herself with her pressed up against the lockers. She closed her eyes ignoring her boyfriend's calls.

Shit. Shit. Shitty, shit shit.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

When he had come into work, Emma hadn't said anything. She had kept their discussion to a minimum. And when there was exchange it was purely business. In truth she was impressed by how focused he was, and how efficient, given his obvious preoccupation. However, by noon it had become boiling.

As she pulled her coat over her shoulders to go outside, she leisurely walked behind her assistant who had a planted himself into one of her office's chairs a few minutes before. She ran a careful hand long his neck; leaning down after a quick look through the doorway to see the office was mostly emptied out.

"You okay?" She whispered to him. It was a ridiculous question and one she was sure he had been hearing far too much lately. He just shrugged his shoulders at her in response.

"Am I doing this wrong, Em?" He lolled his head back to look up at her. "I mean, she's seventeen and I'm—"

"Looking out for your daughter." Emma took a few more steps to lean against the chair's arm. "I know…I'm not the best example when it comes to dealing with difficult situations and my child. But I do know the one thing you can't do is beat yourself up for trying to do what you think is best for her."

Baze closed his mouth and stared up at the blonde for a minute. He hadn't even started to explain what he meant. Was she mulling over the same things that were going on in his head the entire morning? Did she know him that well? Or was it an instinct that all parents shared?

"But the other kid, I'm sure he has parents too. And I'm pretty sure if some guy came screaming in my face that my daughter ruined their son's life… Well, we both know how that would go." He looked down into his own lap. Though, while he hoped this gnawing feeling was anything but right, it would be more like a rabid mother then a man.

Slowly he told her about how he had gone up to check on the teacher who had given his daughter a ride. He left out his suspicions. Baze was beginning to come to terms with the fact that his suspicions were sometimes just his blood boiling. If ever there was a time to quench that, he recognized that it might be now. He summarized his introduction with how Mr. Daniels' mother had reacted making him think about how he himself had approached everything. Emma fell silent, reflective.

"I don't know." Baze exhaled, standing up and stepping away form his lover's touch. "Look, I told Cate I'd meet them at the hospital when Lux was done. Is it okay if I—"

"I'm surprised you came in for this long." She didn't sound resentful as she had in their early days working together. It was endearing. "Go. I don't want to see you until tomorrow morning."

"Really?" He said perking an eyebrow and reaching out to grab her waist with one arm. "Tomorrow _morning_?" He checked. She giggled in a half breath.

"Okay, okay. At least six o'clock." She beamed when he gave her a quick kiss before he walked out.

She was glad he still had his spirit. He would need it. They all would.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Her doctor had left the room ten minutes ago. Lux's head was buzzing with information. Sure she had the basics etched into her head from Cate's own pregnancy. But somehow it seemed so much more important now, so much more fragile since they were treating this with more caution then a normal term. Maybe that's why she had zoned out. Or it could be that the print out between her fingers of the little sack of cells inside her felt thirty times its physical weight.

"It's pretty remarkable, isn't it?" She felt Cate's chin resting on her shoulder, a firm hand on the opposite one. "I mean sure it's just a tiny prick of a blob but…"

Lux didn't respond. She felt the hand squeeze. She knew Cate was trying—so hard. Why couldn't she find something to respond with? Maybe it would stop this damn question from rolling around in her head like it was now.

"What if he never sees this?" She felt it slip past her lips before she could stop herself. She could hear the sharp inhale the radio personality took.

"He w—"

"NO." Lux snapped hopping off of the table and turning to look at Cate. "Don't say it. Please, just don't." She held up her uninjured hand. "I can't hear 'fine' one more time." She almost hurt for the look that met her. Lux mumbled an apology under her breath.

"It's just… promises, hopes, wishes, reassurances. They're all just words. They're words I've heard too much for them not to feel like fairy tales." She looked around the sterile room with little hope of finding an emotional anchor. "I can't do that this time. I just…I can't." She kept her voice as even as she could.

"And all I can think of is…we're going to lose him, and it's all my fault. And this kid…yes I'll have you and Ryan and Baze, but it won't have one person in its life that it really, really, needs. Someone I need. How do I answer it when it asks me why all the other kids have a daddy? How do you even handle that?" She felt her pulse quickening. She knew her cheeks were gaining color.

Cate took a step close rand held her arms out to Lux. Silently she drew her into them and held her lightly. Lux wasn't the type to cling to others. This time, Cate wasn't sure if she could look at her daughter to say this directly.

"You tell them that their dad left them to protect the both of you—that you needed a guardian angel and he wasn't going to let someone else do such an important job. That he is your hero, and even if he can't be seen he is there." Lux blinked rapidly in Cate's arms before pulling back to look at her in the face only to see eyes that were rimmed in tears.

"Thank you." Lux choked, biting her lip knowing her face mirrored the one she was looking at before she found the strength to pull herself away.

"Baze." She cleared her throat. "Baze is probably waiting." She reasoned. Cate nodded, and with a light hand on her daughter's back, she led her out into the chaos that was the hospital corridors.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

The last of his classes had just let out. Thank god. The day had seemed unending. But now all he had to do was the girl's basketball practice and he'd be out, clear, and free until tomorrow morning. He even had minimal grading to do that night. If it weren't for the situation that was occurring to the members of the loft, he would almost say it was brilliant.

Math's heartstrings tugged slowly. He hadn't heard everything about the situation. He had gotten the bones of the matter from an exhausted Baze. He may not be related to the girl by blood, and he may have given up on his crush on Cate long ago. That didn't mean she hadn't become like a niece to him. As much as he was sure her parents were blaming them, he couldn't help but feel partially responsible himself. Wasn't he sort of their eyes while she was in school?

Putting the last of his work into his satchel he made his way towards the gym only to nearly collide with the school's principal. He stopped immediately.

"Ah! Mr. Rogers." She smiled at him. "Just the man I was looking for. Could I have a word please?" She asked with her mask of a smile. That was never good news.

"Of course." He shot her reaction back at her. She nodded before leading them back towards her office. It was on his path way to his destination as it was.

Math had been in this room countless times—before the current regime even. Though he hadn't been on the same side of things as he was sure his roommate had been. In this moment though, from the way she took her seat and shuffled the papers in front of her, he was pretty sure he knew what those students felt like. HE had to resist the urge to loosen his tie.

"Is there a problem?"

"Perhaps." She folded her palms onto the cold desk. "Mr. Rogers, you live with Ms. Cassidy's father correct?"

"I'm one of his renters, yes." He wasn't sure where this was going.

"Have you heard more about her condition? Will she be returning to us soon?" Math didn't like the way she was asking. It was too clean, too formal. A necessity only.

"We hope so. She had an appointment today." He fulfilled his random chitchat quote, he concluded.

"Very good." She said stoically. "Mr. Rogers, I'm not sure if you're aware but there has been some concern presented over some things we've been hearing lately concerning Ms. Cassidy."

"Like?" Math was confused. Hadn't Ryan told them about the pregnancy already?

"Mr. Rogers, is there anything that would make you question the nature of the relationship between Ms. Cassidy and Mr. Daniels?"

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Baze didn't like how well he was getting to know this hospital. There was already one receptionist who recognized him. And in a place like this, that wasn't a good thing. His nerves couldn't handle the thought of having to spend too much more time here. Luckily for him he spotted the girls almost immediately. They looked just about as energetic as he did.

He needed a weak hello to them and waited for them to make their way over to him. "How'd it go?" He asked in general, trying not to take notice of the print out in his daughter's hand.

"I need sleep, no caffeine, and I can't be running ten laps a day but apparently the stress levels of midterms are acceptable." She tried to be witty. Baze lazily smiled in a grateful gesture.

"Great kiddo, ready to get out of here then? My night." He couldn't wait to have her back at the loft. He hated her being so far away when all he wanted to do was to watch over her. Not that, at this point, he could protect her from much worse then had already happened.

"Actually," She shuffled her feet a bit unsure of how to approach the question. "Do you think I could go up and check on Mr. Daniel's condition really quick?"

All sound caught in Baze's head. He noticed all too clearly Cate's flinch. Was he right? Did she know something he didn't? And trickled up in him again as he tried to quell it. The shy look on Lux's face said more then he could ignore. Either she was loosing her acting skills or he was determined to prove this theory true. Still, the raw look of her lethargy was enough to cause him to pause.

"No." He snapped somewhat unwillingly when he saw both women jolt in response. "You're not going up there on your own." He said sternly, following quickly before the loose jaw that had surfaced had a chance to find her charisma again.

"I went up there yesterday and his mother practically ripped my head off. She's one crazy bitty." It was true. He was pretty sure her claws matched his own. "I'll go with you."

"You don't have—"

"No buts." It was clearly his condition. Just because he could ignore a suspicion didn't mean he wasn't keen on learning more that would validate this action.

]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[ ]o[

Grant sat limply in a plastic coated chair nursing his fiftieth cup of cardboard coffee since seven. At least it felt like it. The college student was fairly certain he knew this hospital floor better then his dorm level. He had given up fidgeting and was staring into liquid in his hands.

Frustrated he scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Sleep was only a memory despite his urging his mother to attempt the function. He felt someone come to sit beside him more then he actually saw the form. He didn't care who it was at this point.

"I hear you got some good news." Grant found his uncle, a bit scruffier and a tad thinner the a couple days ago. Not dangerously so. His uncle wasn't a beanpole by any means.

"They said they liked how his EEG was looking. The activity's improving." He shrugged his stiff shoulders.

"So he might wake up?" George ventured. "Sorry kid, my brother was the one with the brains in the family. Heh." He tried to make light of his weak grasp on the situation. Grant only shrugged again.

Tearing the conversation away from the constant pain in their current lives, his uncle asked if he was headed back to Minnesota soon. That was one thing that had been good about the situation. His professors had given him extensions and allowed him to pass in some work electronically. He was surprised how much he had actually been able to focus on schoolwork. He assumed it was the distraction.

He also had received several calls from an acquaintance he would very much like to be more then that, wondering if he was okay. He supposed in a twisted sort of way some small good had come out of the situation. But he refused to go anywhere until his brother opened his eyes—academics be damned. He was either going to pace here, or pace there. As fragile as she was lately, he liked being able to keep an eye out for his mother. His father shouldn't have to do it constantly. Even if that meant he was coped up in these hallways, it was better then not being able to see people who needed him right now.

"How's mom?" He asked, knowing his father had mentioned that George was going to take her out to lunch this afternoon. He had let his dad have some time alone with Eric during that time.

"With him." George sighed, the bags under his eyes making him seem his age for once. "But she's a trooper. He got that stubborn streak from her. We all know that my brother runs from everything." Grant snorted. There was a general disdain for the not-to-be-named brother/father in the Monroe-Daniels family.

"Don't worry." George reached up to pat his nephew's shoulder solidly a couple times. "All he needs is the right sort of push and he'll be back with us."

"Yea, well. We're kind of running out of options. I mean, unless he has some sort of fondness for Aunt Kati…" He stopped by the look of pure amusement on his uncle's face. It almost helped him calm down.

"Maybe we haven't run out of all of them just yet." George quirked a grin and a brow, jerking his head down the hallway. "Looks like your mom and Eric aren't the only stubborn ones."

Grant looked up to see a very nervous looking Lux being trailed by the woman who had first been with her and the man who had come up to see them the day before. The sight of her made him blink the sand out of his eyes. Nervously he looked behind him to make sure his mother hadn't seen them. She had calmed down a bit since the initial two days, but she hadn't had a good impression of this group as ridiculous as he thought it was. Yet it was George who reached the trio first.

"Well if it isn't Lucks!"

"Um, Lux." She corrected the vague mistake in her name. She didn't want to offend the man; he had been pleasant enough to her.

"No. To me, You're Lucks –lucky charm. No if ands or buts." He winked down at her, his attitude entirely infectious as she managed to smile a little bit.

"Your bumps and bruises coming along?" He asked courteously.

"Suppose you could say that." She almost laughed.

Baze, her father Grant remembered, seemed to be less then patient with the pleasantries that were being exchanged. His posture was ridged, his eyes alert. He kept looking towards Eric's room nervously. He clearly didn't want to be here. He also didn't seem so keen on the idea of George rubbing elbows with his daughter. Lux picked up on this.

"How is he?" She asked attentively. George launched into the brief summary that Grant had just given him.

From inside his room, Mrs. Monroe stirred. Seeing the visitors a deep frown grew on her face. Her distraction caught her husband's attention. He gripped her shoulder and walked out of the room before her for once, coming to loom like a shadow as he towered over most of the other people in the area. Baze sized him up immediately.

"You're here about Eric." He had a distinct way of making statements instead of asking questions.

"I'm sorry if I upset Mrs. Monroe before—" Lux started quickly, peaking around him to see a woman who was looking just about as great as she would if she were allowed to openly fret. "I can't imagine what this is like for her." Actually, Lux could. But that was beside the point.

"Please excuse her, but she's rather… focused, when it comes to family." Tough as he was his eyes softened a little. "Eric's doing as best as can be expected right now—still unconscious but there has been no sign that we should be concerned yet." He seemed even, almost unfeeling, but neutral.

"But please, if you don't mind, for my wife's sake, we'd only like the family here. We could let you know if there is any change." He supplemented at the end.

"Thanks." Baze said coldly, before putting one hand on Lux's back. "Come on kiddo."

Lux swallowed the knot in her throat, nodding. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting. But this wasn't exactly it. The disappointment must have been clear on her face. George was the one to speak up before they could get too far away.

"Harold." The comical uncle was shockingly sober. "Why not let her say hello? He's probably sick of hearing us old farts – excluding you of course Grant—and if this girl is the one he protected, he probably wants to know she's okay just as much as they want to know he's okay."

Lux wasn't generally comfortable with people touching her. But uncle George's presence seemed comforting. For whatever reason this man who she didn't know from a needle in a haystack had her back seemingly unconditionally.

"What could it hurt?" He ended his argument. From the looks of Mr. Monroe, it even looked like it might work.

Might, if Milly hadn't caught wind of the situation and come out from her haven by her son's side. Before her husband noticed her she stepped in middle of the group. At least her glare was directed at George at first instead of Lux.

"George, you've been good to me and Eric—and you know I'm grateful for that." Her patience seemed thin, but anchored to him. "And we know you love Eric like your own. But it's not you're place to determine what is or isn't good for him right now." She turned unwilling attention to Cate, Baze, and Lux. "Now as my husband already asked you—please go."

"Now just wait a second." Baze was the one to hold up his hand. "We'll go, but my kid has the right to know what's going on."

"Excuse me?" Milly looked aghast.

"She's been tearing herself up about this entire incident. I would bet you ten bucks right here and now she's blaming herself for what happened. And all you're doing is making her feel like more of a criminal then she already does!"

Lux was surprised. She knew that Baze was protective of her. But she had also picked up on the fact that this was the last place he wanted to be. Why was he trying to get her to stay?

"Well good!" Milly snapped. A chorus of her name and title reprimanded her immediately. "What? Snap all you want! But if it wasn't for this girl, my son wouldn't be in that bed! And that is the truth!"

"My daughter didn't make that car lose control!" He stepped into Milly's personal space. Harold took the defense and Cate stepped forward to try to draw Baze back.

"She might as well have!" Milly shot back. Even her husband's soft voice couldn't calm her. "She may be a sweet girl—and you may be nice people—but that doesn't change the situation. It doesn't help Eric!"

"YOU heard that officer just as well as I did." Baze pointed down at the floor as if it would ground his spot. "Your son CHOSE to protect her!"

"That's because MY child is a DECENT human. Maybe if your daughter wasn't whoring around then he wouldn't have had to pick her up! Or maybe if you were a better PARENT, she wouldn't have needed a ride to begin with!"

Lux knew she should be as mad as Baze. A part of her brain told her that she should be outraged. But the woman's beliefs only made her heart heavier.

"HEY!" Cate glared at the other woman, who almost flinched realizing her words. Baze looked murderous.

"Whatever she was doing, my son had the decency to not only do her a favor but then to risk his own life. And no tramp or her father is going to come in here and make my boy's injuries seem like a scandalous romp! And don't you think I haven't heard these damn nurses whispering!" Tears boiled behind Milly's eyes but they didn't fall.

Their argument had gained the attention of fellow visitors and nurses alike. One of the attendants came closer, attempting to get a word in. AT the nurse's station one seemed on stand by to call security. From the way Cate was gripping onto Baze Lux was afraid it might be too late.

"GOOD guy? DECENT?" Baze shot, straining against the small woman who had a grip on him. "Damn straight they should be whispering! They're probably happy there's one less pedophile on the streets stalking their draughts!"

"BAZE." Both Cate and Lux chirped up in unison, one a little less livid then the other.

"How DARE you!" Milly looked like she was about to slap Baze—and she may have if her husband hadn't been holding her arms at her sides. Uncle George was doing his best to calm down the nurses who had looked ready to pounce. "My son—"

"You son, your SON! That's all you can say, lady? How awesome your son is?" Baze had lost all sense of rationality at this point, forgetting his company. "Let me tell you something about your PRECIOUS son. Does every HONORABLE man knock up _seventeen_ year old girls?"

His words fell like a lashing across the room. Everyone stopped to stare at the feuding pair. Baze looked over at Lux who had lost all color in her face. A flash of guilt crossed his expression. The only one not totally stunned into submission was Milly.

"You're disgusting! Why would you even make up such a thing?" She looked ill, the nights of sleeplessness catching up with her as she fell back against her husband. While she was still running it seemed some of her venom had run dry.

"I think I –" Baze started.

"ENOUGH." Lux screeched. If the proclamation hadn't stopped traffic, that certainly had.

"What is WRONG with you two?" Her voice cracked. "You're so damn caught up in whose fault any of this is, what are you in a contest? Do you get some sort of prize for being on the moral ground? Because let me tell you RIGHT now—you both SUCK at it, okay?" The fist at Lux's side showed how hard she was trying not to tremble in fury.

"While you two are sitting here having a screaming match you both are forgetting what the hell you're even fighting FOR." She looked at both of them with a lack of pity. "Who CARES what happened? You can't _change_ it. So DEAL."

Cate looked at her daughter with sympathy. She could tell how hard this is was—how much of a toll it was taking on her. Cate wanted to go to her, to tell her to calm down. This wasn't good for her, or the baby. But neither was the stress of the situation. At this particular moment, she was almost positive she'd only be tossed aside anyway.

"YES he saved me. YES it is my fault that he was out that day, that he was giving me a ride. Don't you think I KNOW that?" This was directed entirely at Mrs. Monroe. "I am SORRY for what happened, believe me. If there was _anything_ I could do to change it, I would. If I could be in there instead of him, I wouldn't hesitate—and don't even say anything Baze because you know that if it was someone you cared about in there you would same the exact same damn thing."

"But I can't go back in time. The only thing I can do, is support him. Help him fight for his life. Because while we're out here bitching and bellyaching, can you only imagine what he'd say if he saw us like this? At a time when he needs his family more then ever, those who care about him, you're too distracted by your pain. Not his, YOURS." She wasn't going to be polite, not now.

"And maybe you can't stand him. Maybe you wish he had died." She turned to her father. "But I don't. I can't." She paused, her face reddening. Her lower lip rolled between her teeth.

"I want to be in there with him. I need him to know I'm okay, that we're okay." She found herself placing her hand over her heart instead of her stomach. Lux couldn't stop to think about this reaction. "I need him—and so does this baby."

Even uncle George looked slapped at Lux's admission to the suggestion her father had made. Grant raised his eyebrows. Damn his brother had screwed up.

"And whether you like it or not," She found herself straightening up as she took a few steps closer to Milly. "If either of you like it," She added looking over her shoulder. "Me and our grandchild are not going ANYWHERE." The word to describe the life within her was powerful. She felt dizzy recognizing it herself. It seemed to ring in the heads of the previously warring parents. Milly could no longer look her in the eye.

"So you two need to get off your high horses and work whatever it is you two have going on out. There IS no right way out of this. Move on!" With one last gulp of air to strengthen her resolve Lux marched past the adults in the room, shooting a glare at the shell-shocked nurse at the station who had been ready to call for security. The hand slipped away. Faintly behind her she could hear Grant rebuffing the words that were about to come out of Milly's mouth.

The swelling of pride in herself and the relief of her secret being revealed was overwhelming. She wasn't an idiot. She knew that wouldn't solve everything. There was still a chance that Baze wouldn't be able to let all of this go for the greater good. And legally Milly could have her removed. But for this brief second she had won. And she was finally free to do the one thing she had wanted to do since waking up in that white hospital room.

Gravity took her to Eric's room with haste.

It was her vision that brought her to a dead stop.

The man in the bed was not the Eric she had known. The frame was the same. Everything else was different. The monitors around him were numerous. While the ventilator wasn't in place, its looming presence in the background was an eerie backdrop. What tubes didn't cover, bandages did. It was difficult to tell where the gauze stopped and the hospital robe began. The sharp contrast of angry magenta and purple and sickly pale yellow flesh was a splattered canvas in comparison to the usual cream of skin. His central core, which had been curled around her, seemed mostly in tact save for some swelling from surrounding wounds and medication. Every other surfaced looked like it had been gritted across sandpaper.

Unable to register the ghost of a person in front of her, Lux's feet took insecure steps further into the room. As she drew closer to the form her nausea increased. The closer details were so much worse. From the corners of clothing and edges of bandages she could see the gashes from the splayed glass—an image that made the sound of the event ring in her ears again. She could feel the lurch of the breaks seeing the near black on his forearms where IVs were loosely tapped into place.

Morbidly curious, or unable to ignore it, Lux reached out to lift the corner of one bandages only to see long scrapes from the materials of the car. In other places angry stitches glared back. One eye showed signs of decreased swelling. She didn't want to imagine what his back looked like. Her good hand shivering she reached out to touch his hand to find it surprisingly clammy.

Shocked she withdrew her hand like it had shocked her. The air she had held in her lungs came out in an unanticipated sob. Inhaling quickly she forced herself to take and hold the motionless hand.

"I'm here, Eric." She choked; the sounds barely formed the words. "We're here." She whispered.

"Oh god, I'm sorry." She felt her shoulders shaking. She new the hot and wet trails on her cheeks were tears, but the act of crying was irrelevant to the shame and fear that she had felt accumulating into this one horrific image in front of her.

Lux felt her legs failing her. She tried to think of finding a chair only to feel small hands on her shoulders. She looked behind her expecting to see Cate. Instead, Milly's own puffy eyes stared back. Milly pulled the chair closer to her not a moment too soon.

Safely in the seat Lux hid her face from the rest of the hospital by hiding it against the standard sheets and the hand that clutched onto Eric's. She heard soft sounds behind her, and was aware of a hand rubbing circles on her back. The hand turned into a hug and the sensation of someone crying along with her own sobs.

From outside of the room, the others looked in. The scene felt a million miles away. Cate found Baze's shoulder. The world that had come crashing down seemed glued together by the figures of the room. No one dared to speak, barely to breathe.

The lingering anger had dissipated and replaced the corridors with the heaviness of sorrow.


End file.
